Pad Thai
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Pad Thai

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

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Low-fat

Without the prawns

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.
Try

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.

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.

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.

Per serving

359 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 5g, salt 3.17 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • 12 January 2008

    bosskax rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    spot on this...the only thing i did wrong was not leave the noodles long enough in the water...they needed a bit longer but the sauce was so nice it didnt matter...still spot on though ;)

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  • 13 March 2008

    Elaine commented on this recipe

    Love this recipe. Very quick and extremely easy. Used straight from the pack noodles so was extra handy. Have cooked it twice now. For the standard ingredients above the only thing I would change is slightly less fish sauce. I found it a little salty. I also did a variation switching the bean sprouts for some mange-toute, and added a little fresh ginger and a teaspoon of oyster sauce. Was very nice.

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  • 29 March 2008

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This was surprisingly easy to make - the sauce was lovely.

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  • 11 April 2008

    katyrouth rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Not at all like the Pad Thai I've eaten in restaurants. If you make a few changes (double the quantity of egg mix, add some peanuts to it, and add the mix with the noodles and prawns then stir till you get a texture approaching carbonara sauce) then it's much improved.

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  • 15 August 2010

    Melworldwide rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    I really enjoyed this dish. Next time, slightly less fish sauce, was v salty. Otherwise an easy, cheap recipe, will definitely make again.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Low-fat

Without the prawns

Ingredients

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Per serving

359 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 5g, salt 3.17 g

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