Shrimp Pad Thai

Method

1. 01

   Soak the noodles

   Cover the dried noodles with room-temperature water by 5 cm and soak 40–50 minutes. Drain when a strand bends around a finger without snapping but still feels firm at the centre; do not soak until fully soft.

   

2. 02

   Dissolve the Pad Thai sauce

   Combine tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, and 15 ml water in a small pan. Warm over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves; remove from heat and reserve exactly 150 ml sauce.

   

3. 03

   Prepare one cooking station

   Pat shrimp and tofu dry. Put shallots, dried shrimp, beaten eggs, noodles, sauce, sprouts, chives, peanuts, lime, and chile in separate bowls in cooking order; the wok stage takes less than 10 minutes.

   

4. 04

   Brown tofu and cook shrimp

   Heat a 32 cm wok over medium-high for 2 minutes. Add 20 ml oil and tofu; brown 3–4 minutes, turning once. Add shrimp and cook 60–90 seconds per side until opaque and 63°C at the thickest point; transfer tofu and shrimp to a clean plate.

   

5. 05

   Fry aromatics and set the eggs

   Add the remaining 25 ml oil, shallots, and dried shrimp; stir 45 seconds. Push to one side, pour eggs into the bare wok, and leave 20 seconds before folding into soft, moist curds for 30–40 seconds.

   

6. 06

   Coat noodles with sauce

   Add drained noodles and all 150 ml sauce. Toss over high heat for 2 minutes, then add 45 ml water around the edge, cover 1 minute, and uncover. The noodles should be flexible with a slight bite and no dry white centre.

   

7. 07

   Return tofu and shrimp

   Return tofu and shrimp and toss 60–90 seconds, lifting from the bottom instead of chopping through the noodles. Stop when sauce clings without pooling and the shrimp are hot; add only 15 ml water if the noodles are still firm.

   

8. 08

   Wilt sprouts and chives

   Turn off the heat. Add 70 g sprouts and 30 g chives and toss for 30 seconds so they warm but stay crisp. Taste one noodle and adjust only with up to 5 ml fish sauce if needed.

   

9. 09

   Plate with fresh garnishes

   Divide immediately among four warm plates. Add remaining raw sprouts and chives, peanuts, lime wedges, and optional chile separately so each diner can balance crunch, acidity, and heat.