Easy Authentic Pad Thai at Home

Ingredients

• 2 oz tamarind pulp
• 0.5 cup boiling water (For rehydrating the tamarind pulp)
• 3 tbsp Thai palm sugar (Heaping; grated for easier dissolving)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Thai black soy sauce (For the Pad Thai sauce)
• 0.5 lb chicken breast (Slice into even 1/4-inch slices)
• kosher salt (A generous pinch)
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp Thai sweet soy sauce (For seasoning the chicken)
• 8 oz dried Pad Thai rice noodles (Soak in hot water until al dente, then drain)
• 0.333 cup dried shrimp (Process into as fine a powder as possible)
• 6 tbsp high-heat cooking oil (Use 3 tablespoons for the chicken and another 3 tablespoons for the stir-fry)
• 2 shallots (Thinly sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (Thinly sliced)
• 1.5 tbsp Thai salted daikon (Optional; finely minced)
• 2.5 eggs (Use 2 to 3 eggs; beat until completely homogenized)
• 1 cup Chinese garlic chives (Add near the end and stir-fry until beginning to wilt)
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts (Stir-fried into the Pad Thai; additional fresh sprouts are used for serving)
• peanuts (Generous amount, crushed and toasted, for serving)
• mung bean sprouts (Additional fresh sprouts for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the tamarind pulp in a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mix until the pulp is as smooth and rehydrated as possible.

2. 2

   Press the rehydrated tamarind mixture through a mesh sieve or chinois to make tamarind juice.

3. 3

   Add the grated palm sugar, fish sauce, and Thai black soy sauce to the tamarind juice. Mix thoroughly to make the Pad Thai sauce, then set it aside.

4. 4

   Slice the chicken breast into even 1/4-inch slices so the pieces cook evenly.

5. 5

   Season the sliced chicken with a generous pinch of kosher salt, the white pepper, and cornstarch. Toss to coat, then add the Thai sweet soy sauce and mix again until evenly distributed.

6. 6

   Place the dried rice noodles in a large bowl and cover them completely with hot water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until al dente.

7. 7

   Drain the soaked noodles in a colander and set them aside.

8. 8

   Process the dried shrimp in a food processor at high speed until they become as fine a powder as possible.

9. 9

   Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of high-heat cooking oil and heat until the oil is shimmering and very hot. Swirl the wok to coat its edges.

10. 10

    Add the chicken to the wok in batches. Stir-fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked completely through. Remove the chicken from the wok and set it aside.

11. 11

    Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is very hot, add the ground dried shrimp.

12. 12

    Stir-fry the dried shrimp, shaking the wok vigorously while stirring, until golden brown, toasted, and fragrant.

13. 13

    Add the thinly sliced shallots and stir-fry constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they begin to soften.

14. 14

    Add the thinly sliced garlic and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

15. 15

    If using the optional Thai salted daikon, add it and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes.

16. 16

    Add the soaked, drained rice noodles to the wok, followed by the Pad Thai sauce.

17. 17

    Increase the heat to high. Vigorously shake and stir-fry until the noodles and sauce are hot and all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

18. 18

    Reduce the heat back to medium-high. Push the noodles to one side of the wok to create an empty space.

19. 19

    Beat the eggs together in a bowl until completely homogenized. Pour them into the empty space in the wok and let them cook for about 30 seconds.

20. 20

    Scramble the eggs in the wok. Once they are cooked through, stir-fry them together with the noodles and aromatics so they are evenly distributed.

21. 21

    Add the Chinese garlic chives, mung bean sprouts, and the cooked chicken. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, just until the garlic chives begin to wilt and everything is hot.

22. 22

    Remove the wok from the heat. Serve the Pad Thai family-style in the wok or transfer it to bowls.

23. 23

    Finish with a generous amount of crushed toasted peanuts and additional fresh mung bean sprouts.

Notes

The source strongly recommends using the specified Thai ingredients rather than substituting them and suggests shopping at an Asian grocery store. The amount of peanuts and additional serving sprouts is not specified. The transcript mentions adding garlic chives before the egg step, but gives the measured one-cup quantity when adding them with the sprouts and chicken; this extraction uses the explicit measured quantity once at the final stir-fry stage.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stir-fried
• noodles
• chicken
• Thai
• family-style
• spicy-savory
• weeknight meal