Thai cooks wouldn’t make more than one or two portions of this dish at a time, as the ingredients would overcrowd the pan and not cook as well. To guarantee perfection, I follow the same rules.
Serves 2
4 oz (115 g) dried Thai rice noodles (gueyteow)
1 tbsp palm sugar (namtarn peep) or light brown sugar
1 tsp tamarind paste (makham piek)
1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
1 small red chili, seeded and thinly shredded lengthwise
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
7 oz (200 g) raw, peeled large shrimp, deveined and halved crosswise
2 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
To serve
1 oz (30 g) peanuts, very finely chopped
1 oz (30 g) bean sprouts
2 scallions, trimmed and finely shredded lengthwise
2 lime wedges
1. Lay the noodles flat in a wide, shallow pan and pour in 41⁄4 cups (1 liter) of cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water until cold. Set aside. (See Keep the noodles separate.) Put the palm sugar into a small bowl with the tamarind and shrimp pastes. With a small spoon, mix in the lime juice and fish sauce until evenly blended.
2. Heat a wok or large, deep-sided, nonstick frying pan or sauté pan over high heat until hot. Spoon in the oil and heat until hot, then add the onion, chili, ginger, and garlic. Let the ingredients sizzle over medium–high heat for 30–60 seconds or until just starting to brown, then add the shrimp and stir vigorously for 30–60 seconds or until they begin to turn pink at the edges.
3. Pour in the lime juice mixture and stir-fry for about 1 minute or until the shrimp are pink all over. Add in the noodles and stir constantly for 11⁄2 minutes. Scoop the stir-fry to one side and crack the eggs into the empty part of the wok. Allow them to set around the edges for about 1 minute before stirring for another minute until softly scrambled.
4. Mix the eggs into the noodles with the cilantro and keep stirring for a minute or so until the mixture is dry. Serve immediately, topped with the peanuts, bean sprouts, and scallions, and a lime wedge on each plate.
CLASSIC PAD THAI
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Keep the noodles separate
1 Rice noodles stick together if not prepared properly. Use lots of water for boiling, and swish around with a spatula between the strands as they cook to keep them separate.
2 As you rinse and drain the noodles, shake the colander and lift and separate the strands with your hands. If they start to feel sticky before you stir-fry, rinse and drain again.