Shrimp / Prawn Pad Thai (Spice I Am Restaurant Recipe)

Name: Shrimp / Prawn Pad Thai (Spice I Am Restaurant Recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 3 serving
Ingredients: 5 oz / 150 g dried Pad Thai rice noodles; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; 12 raw shrimp; 1 small red shallot; 3 oz / 80 g firm tofu; 1.75 oz / 50 g dried shrimp; 1/4 cup fish sauce; 2 tbsp palm sugar; 2 tbsp tamarind puree; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1/2 tsp + chili powder; 2 eggs; 1.5 oz / 45 g roasted unsalted peanuts; 5 oz / 150 g bean sprouts; 2 tbsp garlic chives; 1 tsp white sugar; Lime wedges

User Reviews

4.7

123 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings
3
Calories
592 kcal
Course
Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine
Thai

Shrimp / Prawn Pad Thai (Spice I Am Restaurant Recipe)

Paige Becker

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This is an authentic recipe for Pad Thai from the Spice I Am cookbook, one of the most critically acclaimed Thai restaurants in Sydney. This is a very traditional recipe for those who like truly authentic Thai street food as the dried shrimp flavour is stronger than what you get in westernised Pad Thai recipes. For something more like what you get at mainstream Thai restaurants, use this Everyday Pad Thai recipe.

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Ingredients

Servings

5 oz / 150 g dried Pad Thai rice noodles (Note 1)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
12 raw shrimp (prawns), shelled and deveined (Note 2)
1 small red shallot , finely sliced (Note 3)
3 oz / 80 g firm tofu , cut into small matchsticks
1.75 oz / 50 g dried shrimp (Note 4)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tbsp tamarind puree (Note 5)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp + chili powder , to taste (Note 6)
2 eggs , lightly beaten
1.5 oz / 45 g roasted unsalted peanuts , finely ground
5 oz / 150 g bean sprouts
2 tbsp garlic chives , cut into 3/4" / 2cm lengths
1 tsp white sugar
Lime wedges , to serve

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Instructions

Place the rice noodles in a bowl and cover with lukewarm water and set aside for 1 hour. (Note 7) Drain then set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wok or large heavy based fry pan over medium heat. Add the prawns and cook until they just change colour. (Note 8) Remove from the wok and set aside.
Add the shallot and stir fry for 2 minutes. Then add the tofu, dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind puree and cook for 1 minute until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the rice noodles, vinegar and 2 tsp chili powder and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and push the noodles to one side. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil into the wok then the egg.
Push the noodles over the egg and stir, scraping the base of the wok so the egg scrambles and mixes in with the noodles.
Remove from heat. Add half the peanuts, most of the bean sprouts, garlic chives, prawns and toss gently.
Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with white sugar and remaining peanuts. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and sprinkled with extra chili powder, if desired.

Notes

The original recipe called for thin rice stick noodles that looks more like vermicelli. I chose to make it with Pad Thai noodles.
Original recipe called for 6 large prawns. I could only find medium size ones so I used 12.
Red shallots are like baby red spanish onions. The flavour is sweeter and milder than onions. If you can't find them, just substitute with 1/4 finely sliced red onion.
Dried shrimp is the key ingredient in this restaurant style version. They are tiny shrimp / prawns that are dried. They cost around $4 for a packet at Asian grocery stores (you'll only need half).
Tamarind is a fruit and the puree is like a smooth paste and is sour. In Australia, you can find it in supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms) in the Asian section.
Real Pad Thai is supposed to be spicy! Adjust to taste - you can sprinkle on the finished dish at the end as well (common way to serve). Chili powder used in this recipe is pure ground dried chilies. Not American chili powder which has other seasonings and is not that spicy. If you are unsure, use cayenne pepper. The chilli powder is to add heat to the dish, not additional seasonings.
This is a key tip - rehydrating the noodles using lukewarm water instead of boiling. This stops the noodles from breaking when you are stir frying because the noodles don't overcook which can happen in a flash if you boil them.
If you're really in a rush, soak them in hot water or follow the packet instructions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute, and be extra careful when tossing the noodles.
How to tell a prawn is perfectly cooked: raw prawns hang straight. Perfectly cooked prawns form a "c" and overcooked prawns curl into an "o" shape.
Nutrition assuming 3 servings.