Pad Thai, translating to “Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles,” is a renowned Thai dish with origins rooted in Chinese cuisine. Initially known as “Guay Tiew Pad,” it was rebranded as “Pad Thai” and has since risen to fame as Thailand’s most beloved noodle dish.
Pad Thai serves as an ideal gateway to Thai food for newcomers. Made from flat rice noodles, it combines essential ingredients like egg, tofu, peanuts, and bean sprouts, all harmonized by sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. Here is the authentic Pad Thai recipe.
Pad Thai Recipe
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for Pad Thai
- Pad Thai sauce (recipe provided below)
- 100 g thin dried rice noodles, soaked until softened
- 3-5 fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cleaned
- 3 tablespoons yellow tofu, diced
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickled radish, finely chopped
- ¼ cup raw bean sprouts
- ¼ cup Chinese chives, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Ground roasted peanuts
Pad Thai Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tamarind juice
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
Instructions for Pad Thai Sauce
- Combine palm sugar, tamarind juice, fish sauce, and chili powder in a pan.
- Heat on medium-low until the palm sugar dissolves completely. (For storage, allow to cool and store in an airtight container.)
Cooking Pad Thai
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Add shrimp and stir until cooked, then set aside.
- In the same pan, add tofu and sweet pickled radish. Stir-fry until golden brown.
- Pour in the Pad Thai sauce and stir until it starts to boil.
- Add noodles and mix well. If noodles stick, add a small amount of water.
- Push noodles to one side of the pan, crack an egg in, break the yolk, and fry until mixed.
- Add bean sprouts and Chinese chives, toss together, and turn off the heat.
- Serve topped with ground peanuts, alongside raw bean sprouts, banana blossom, a spoonful of chili powder, and lime.
Cost
The price of Pad Thai varies by location. The basic Pad Thai (with egg, no meat) typically costs around 30 baht. Pad Thai with pork is about 40 baht, and the popular shrimp Pad Thai ranges from 50-60 baht at street vendors. In tourist-oriented restaurants, prices can be two to three times higher.
Cooking Tips
For home preparation, visit larger supermarkets like Big C or Tesco Lotus for ready-to-cook Pad Thai noodle packs (about 100 baht) and Pad Thai sauce (20-30 baht). Simply add noodles, an egg, and your preferred meat for an authentic taste.
Many Thais opt to eat Pad Thai at local restaurants because it is often cheaper than purchasing all the ingredients to cook at home.
One highly recommended spot to enjoy Pad Thai in Bangkok is the Terminal 21 Food Court, where Pad Thai – Hoy Tod St. Louis offers several delicious variations of this classic dish at reasonable prices.