Ingredients.
- 10 oz dried flat Thai rice noodles - these noodles look similar to Italian linguini noodles, except made of rice
- 8-12 raw tiger prawns, shell removed
- 3 sliced shallots
- 1-2 fresh minced green or red chillies, depending on desired spiciness (for milder noodles, omit chilli, or remove seeds)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup snow peas (optional - not strictly Thai, but adding some green vegetables makes this dish a complete meal)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup ground or chopped peanuts (unsalted)
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp peanut, coconut, or other vegetable oil for frying
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp. tamarind paste mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
- Optional: 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, depending on how spicy you want your Pad Thai (or omit for mild noodles)
- Optional: 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup (this is a North American addition to Pad Thai that has become popular at Thai restaurants)
STEP One 1. Soak rice noodles in a pot of cool water for 1 hour. Drain when ready to use. The noodles should still be firm and very chewy (they will finish cooking later, when they're fried). Tip: Rice noodles are best when soaked to soften them, not boiled. However, if you're in a hurry: Bring a pot of water to the boil, then remove from heat and dunk in the noodles. Allow them to soak until nearly soft, but still firm and too crunchy to eat (10-15 minutes). Rinse with cold water and drain well.
