Phad Thai Recipe

Soak noodles

Place dried rice noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Pour 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water over the noodles, pressing them down to submerge. Let soak 8–12 minutes until pliable but still slightly firm (they will finish cooking in the pan). Stir gently halfway through to separate. Drain and set aside, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.

Mix tamarind: In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons tamarind paste in 2 tablespoons warm water and stir until smooth. Set aside.

Make sauce: In a bowl combine dissolved tamarind, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons palm sugar, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust: sauce should be balance of salty-sour-sweet; add up to 1 teaspoon more fish sauce or sugar as needed. Set sauce next to your cooking station.

Prepare proteins: If using shrimp, pat dry and lightly season with a pinch of salt. If using tofu, toss cubes in a little cornstarch (optional) to crisp when frying.

Prep aromatics and veg: Mince garlic, thinly slice shallot, rinse bean sprouts and slice scallions. Have optional chilies ready if using.

Stir-fry

Heat a large heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl. Add shrimp (or tofu) in a single layer and sear 1–2 minutes per side until just cooked (shrimp opaque and pink); remove to a plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then add garlic and shallot and stir-fry 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Push aromatics to one side of the wok, crack in the 2 eggs into the cleared space and scramble quickly, stirring to create soft curds. When eggs are about 70% set, add soaked and drained noodles to the wok, along with the prepared sauce and about 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved noodle soaking liquid (or water) to help loosen the sauce.

Toss vigorously with tongs or spatulas so noodles pick up the sauce and heat through, 1–2 minutes. Add cooked shrimp (or tofu) back into the pan, along with half of the bean sprouts and most of the sliced scallions. Stir for another 30–60 seconds until everything is combined and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a splash more fish sauce or a pinch sugar if needed. If mixture seems dry, add up to 1–2 tablespoons water.

Plate: Transfer Phad Thai to serving plates. Sprinkle chopped roasted peanuts over the top, add remaining raw bean sprouts and extra scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges and optional chili flakes on the side so diners can add heat and acidity to taste.

Notes: For vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with a soy-based or tamari-based seasoning plus a little salt, and use tofu as the primary protein. Cook times assume a hot wok and fresh-prepped ingredients; have everything mise en place as stir-frying is fast.