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Making Pad Thai with Pantry Ingredients
While most restaurants make the sauce for their Pad Thai with tamarind (either paste or concentrate – see notes for more info), this ingredient isn’t always readily available for home cooks. To remedy this, we’ve come up with a sauce that replicates the flavor of tamarind pretty well.
When combined with shrimp, eggs, garlic, bean sprouts, cilantro, and peanuts, our homemade sauce produces a light, flavorful dish that may not be totally authentic, but it is definitely delicious. Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare!
If you’re not a lover of shrimp, you can easily substitute a different protein like chicken, pork, or tofu. Just be sure to use bite-sized pieces and adjust the stir-fry time accordingly.
Authentic ingredients for Pad Thai
To make a more authentic version of Pad Thai, you’ll need to get some tamarind paste and replace the sauce ingredients in the recipe with:
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- Sriracha to taste (optional)
What is Tamarind?
The tamarind tree is native to India and Asia and grows wild throughout the region. The tree produces pods that contain a pulp with an intense sweet and sour flavor. In Thai cooking, tamarind paste is generally mixed with water to thin it before use. In addition to being used in Pad Thai, tamarind paste is used in various chutneys and curry dishes and is a key ingredient in Worcestershire sauce as well.
Shrimp Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
- 6 ounces wide rice noodles
- 2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
- 4 lime wedges
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, substitute tamari for gluten-free
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions (or start them soaking as per the directions in the recipe notes below). Once tender, rinse the noodles in cool water, drain, and return them to the pan (off heat).
- While the noodles soak, make the sauce by combining the brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire and sriracha in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds on high, then stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Pour in the eggs, scramble until set, then break them into small pieces with your spatula. Add them to the pan with the noodles and return the pan to the stove.
- Add about 2 teaspoons of the remaining oil to the pan along with the garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the carrots and scallions and cook for 20 to 30 seconds longer, to soften them.
- Add the carrots and scallions to the pan with the noodles and gently toss everything together until well combined.
- Return the frying pan to the stove, add the remaining oil, and stir-fry the shrimp until pink, about 1-1/2 minutes. Working quickly, add the noodle and veggie mixture to the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and pour on the sauce.
- Toss everything together and heat just long enough to re-warm the noodles, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the bean sprouts and cilantro. Toss again.
- To serve, divide the Pad Thai between four serving plates, top with crushed peanuts and garnish with a wedge of lime.
Notes
How To Cook Rice Noodles
Bring a pot of water to a boil, remove it from the heat and add the noodles. Stir frequently and test every 2 minutes until the noodles are softened. The time will vary between brands, but 8 minutes is average for the flat Pad Thai-style noodles used in this recipe. Once the noodles are tender, drain and rinse with cool water to prevent them from sticking together.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It looks so nice. I think it is also very good in taste.I’ll also try this and thanks for telling the right way to cook rice noodles. This can be quite helpful in cooking other Thai recipes.