Pad Thai

Discover how easy stir-fries can be with this step- by-step guide to a quick one-dish meal from Thailand

  • Prep:5 mins
    Cook:10 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 359
  • fat 8g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 57g
  • sugars 5g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 19g
  • salt 3.17g

Ingredients

  • 250g pack medium rice noodles
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 spring onions
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 200g pack large cooked prawns
  • 75g beansprouts
  • handful salted peanut, chopped to serve
  • lime wedges, to serve

Tip

Chinese beef or tofu too
Cook thin strips of beef with broccoli florets for 5 mins before adding the garlic and spring onion. Use soy sauce instead of the tamarind mixture. You could also add carrot or use tofu for a veggie alternative.Soggy stir-fry?
A common mistake when stir-frying is to overcrowd the pan. Try to make sure the wok is no more than half-full, and cook in batches if you need to make more. Cleaning your wok
The best way to take care of a non-stick wok is to season it after use. To do this, heat your wok with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp salt. Swirl around the pan to coat. Then leave to cool and wipe off the salt crust with kitchen paper. This helps to keep your wok clean and stops the food from sticking.

Method

  1. Soften the rice noodles: Tip the noodles into a large bowl and pour over a kettle of boiling water until they are covered. Leave to stand for 5-10 mins until the noodles are soft, then drain well. (You can do this part ahead of time – then just run the noodles under cold water until cool, and toss through a little oil to stop them from sticking.) Next, mix together the tamarind paste, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl.

  2. Stir-fry the vegetables: Peel and finely chop the garlic. Trim the ends off the spring onions and cut into thin slices about 1cm long. Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. When it’s really hot (a drop of water should sizzle straight away), pour in the oil and swirl around. Tip in garlic and spring onions. To stir-fry, take a spatula or tongs and toss the veg around the wok so they’re moving all the time. Cook for 30 secs, just until they begin to soften.

  3. Cook the egg: Push the vegetables to the sides of the wok, then crack the egg into the centre. Keep stirring the egg for 30 secs until it begins to set and resembles a broken-up omelette.

  4. To finish: Add the prawns and beansprouts, followed by the noodles, then pour over the fish sauce mixture. Toss everything together and heat through. Spoon out onto plates. Serve with some chopped peanuts sprinkled over and wedges of lime.

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