Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz) Flat dried rice noodles (about 5 mm wide)
• 3 tbsp Tamarind paste (concentrate)
• 3 tbsp Fish sauce
• 3 tbsp Light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Chilli flakes, plus more to serve
• 3 tbsp Neutral oil, divided
• 225 g (8 oz) Raw shrimp (prawns), peeled
• 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 115 g (4 oz) Bean sprouts
• 4 Spring onions, cut into short lengths
• 57 g (2 oz) Roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed
• 2 Limes, cut into wedges

You’ll need: Large wok or frying pan, Tongs

Method

1. 1

   Soak the noodles. Cover the noodles with hot tap water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes, until they bend easily but still have a firm centre. Drain well. They finish cooking in the pan, so do not soften them fully.

2. 2

   Mix the sauce. Stir together the tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, water and chilli flakes until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: it should be sour, salty and sweet in roughly equal measure, as it will mellow once it coats the noodles.

3. 3

   Cook the shrimp. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Fry the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until pink and opaque all over. Lift out onto a plate.

4. 4

   Fry the aromatics and egg. Add the remaining oil and the shallots and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, then push them to one side. Pour the egg into the cleared space and scramble it for about 30 seconds, until just set, then mix it in.

5. 5

   Add the noodles. Add the noodles and the sauce and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, using tongs, until the noodles are tender and have absorbed most of the sauce. Add a splash of water if they are still firm and the pan is dry.

6. 6

   Finish. Return the shrimp to the pan with the bean sprouts and spring onions and toss for 30 seconds. Serve at once, topped with the peanuts and with lime wedges for squeezing over.