Pad Thai with shrimp

4 servings

30 minutes

Pad Thai with shrimp is an iconic dish of Pan-Asian cuisine that balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. Its origin is linked to Thailand, where it became popular in the mid-20th century, symbolizing national pride and identity. The base consists of rice noodles soaked in a rich sauce made from tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Shrimp adds a sea freshness while peanuts and bean sprouts provide textural variety. Eggs lend tenderness to the dish and lime adds a refreshing tang. Pad Thai is traditionally cooked in a wok over high heat for perfect caramelization of ingredients and served hot with crunchy nuts and herbs.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 552.8
• Proteins: 18.9g
• Fats: 18.6g
• Carbohydrates: 78.9g

Ingredients

• Tamarind paste: 3 tbsp
• Fish sauce: 3 tbsp
• Palm sugar: 50 g
• Rice noodles: 250 g
• Garlic: 3 clove
• Shallots: 1 pc
• Ground red pepper: 0.5 tsp
• Shrimps: 200 g
• Bean sprouts: 30 g
• Chicken egg: 1 pc
• Lime: to taste
• Green onions: 1 bunch
• Peanut: 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil: 3 tbsp

Cooking steps

1. Noodles should be soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes until they are elastic but still firm. It's better to under-soak the first time than to over-soak. Avoid pouring boiling water, as it greatly increases the chances of ending up with a mush instead of pad thai.

2. For the sauce, crush the sugar into small pieces and dissolve it over low heat in a mixture of fish sauce and tamarind. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the sauce from heat and set it aside.

   Required ingredients:

   • Palm sugar: 50 g
   • Fish sauce: 3 tablespoons
   • Tamarind paste: 3 tablespoons

3. Place a wok or pan over medium heat and roast the ground peanuts (without oil!) for a couple of minutes. Pour out and set aside.

   Required ingredients:

   • Peanut: 1 tablespoon

4. Pour enough vegetable oil into the wok and sauté the chopped garlic and onion for a couple of minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
   • Garlic: 3 cloves
   • Shallots: 1 piece

5. Add the shrimp and fry until cooked. You can increase the heat here. Remove the noodles from the water (it's better to soak them in a colander right away), shake off any excess water if possible, and add the noodles to the wok.

   Required ingredients:

   • Shrimps: 200 g
   • Rice noodles: 250 g

6. Pour the sauce and mix well so that each noodle is coated with the sauce.

   Required ingredients:

   • Tamarind paste: 3 tablespoons
   • Fish sauce: 3 tablespoons
   • Palm sugar: 50 g

7. Scoop the noodles to one side of the wok and crack an egg there. Mix it.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken egg: 1 piece

8. Take one noodle and taste it. It should be firm but not raw in the middle. If the noodle is too soft, reduce the soaking time next time. If it's still raw, add a little water to the wok.

9. Add red pepper, bean sprouts, and chopped green onion to the noodles, mix, and remove from heat.

   Required ingredients:

   • Ground red pepper: 0.5 teaspoon
   • Bean sprouts: 30 g
   • Green onions: 1 bunch