How to Make Pad Thai

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 4, 2021

Pad thai is a classic Thai dish popular at restaurants and in home kitchens all over the world. Rice noodles are flavored with a variety of delicious spices and add-ins to create hearty dish with some peppery kick. Read on for a basic recipe for Pad Thai.

Ingredients

4 ounces dried Thai rice noodles
1 ounce tamarind paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
6 ounces smoked tofu
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup scallions
2 teaspoons garlic
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons cabbage
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
3 ounces bean sprouts, divided
1/2 cup shelled peanuts, divided
Freshly ground dried red chili peppers, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Ingredients

1
Roast the peanuts. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the peanuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt. Roast the peanuts for about 15 minutes, until they are fragrant and golden brown.
2
Chop the vegetables. Wash and dry the scallions, then set them on a cutting board and dice them. Mince several garlic cloves.

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3
Soak the noodles. Fill a bowl with hot water and submerge the noodles inside it. Let the noodles soak and soften for several minutes. When they are soft, drain the water and set the noodles aside.
4
Make the sauce. Stir the tamarind paste into 3/4 cup of boiling water. After five minutes, strain the paste through a fine-mesh strainer and place it in a bowl. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar to the bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Set the bowl aside.
5
Sauté the tofu. Cut the tofu into strips. Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, place the tofu strips in the pan and fry them on one side until they turn golden brown. Flip them to the other side and cook until golden brown. Place the tofu in a bowl and set it aside.^{[1]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cooking the Pad Thai

1
Sauté the scallions and garlic. Place the other teaspoon of peanut oil in the pan. Turn the heat to high. Add half of the scallions and Sauté for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and Sauté for another 10 seconds.
2
Cook the eggs. Pour the eggs into the pan and immediately stir them around to scramble them and break them up. The eggs should cook for no more than 30 seconds before you add the remaining ingredients.
3
Add the noodles and sauce. Place the noodles in the pan and use tongs to toss them with the other ingredients. Pour the sauce over the noodles and continue tossing. Sauté the mixture for about 30 seconds.
4
Add the cabbage and bean sprouts. Toss them with the other ingredients to thoroughly incorporate them.^{[2]
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5
Add the shrimp and half of the peanuts. Continue tossing the ingredients until everything is heated through. The entire process shouldn't take more than 2 minutes.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing the Pad Thai

1
Transfer the pad thai to a serving dish. Carefully empty the wok or skillet into a large bowl or serving platter.
2
Garnish the pad thai. Sprinkle the remaining scallions and peanuts over the cooked pad thai, forming a little pile in the center. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the dish, adding as much as you want to make it spicy.
3
Serve the pad thai. This hearty dish is a meal in and of itself. Serve it warm on large plates or in bowls with a wedge of lime.
4
Finished.