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How to cook pad thai – recipe | Felicity Cloake’s masterclass


Though they’re one of Thailand’s most famous culinary exports, these stir-fried noodles are neither traditional, nor even particularly Thai, but a Chinese-influenced dish created in the 1940s as part of a campaign to foster national unity. Delicious to eat and quick to cook, it’s easy to see why pad thai has been so successful at bringing a country together.

Prep 15 min, plus soaking
Cook 5 min
Serves 2

120g rice noodles, ideally 2-3mm wide flat rice sticks, but any will do really
60ml fish sauce, or light soy sauce mixed with a little lime juice or rice vinegar
60ml tamarind water (or tamarind concentrate thinned with a little water)
60g palm sugar, or maple sugar, maple syrup reduced until caramelised, or dark brown sugar
1 pinch chilli powder, to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled
100g extra-firm tofu, drained
8 large prawns
2 large eggs
25g preserved salted radish (optional)
4 stalks Chinese chives, or spring onions
50g roasted peanuts
80ml groundnut or vegetable oil
1 tbsp small dried shrimp (optional)
100g beansprouts
Lime wedges, chilli flakes, fish sauce and sugar, to garnish

1 Soak the noodles

Pad thai cooks in minutes, so it’s essential to have all the ingredients prepped and ready before you so much as look at the wok. Begin by soaking the rice sticks in cold water for about half an hour, until pliable but still al dente, rather than soft. Drain well and set aside by the hob alongside a small glass of cold water.

2 Make the sauce

While the noodles are soaking, make the pad thai sauce. Put the fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar in a small pan and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then turn off the heat. Season with chilli, then taste and adjust the balance to suit your palate.

3 Prep the rest

Prepare the remaining ingredients and set them out near the hob in the order they go into the pan (as below). Finely chop the garlic and cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Devein the prawns, if necessary (I like to leave them unshelled, but it’s up to you), and crack the eggs into a small bowl. Roughly chop the radish (if using), chives and peanuts.

4 Start cooking

Before you turn on the hob, get ready your serving dishes, cutlery, accompaniments and any dining companions, because the cooking process is very fast. Put a wok on a high heat and, once hot, add half the oil, followed by the garlic, and stir-fry for a few seconds, until aromatic.

Stir Fried Noodles 01



Get everything prepped before you start to cook, then add the garlic to hot oil in a wok and stir-fry just until aromatic.

5 Cook the noodles

Felicity Cloake's Stir Fried Noodles (aka pad thai).



Add the soaked and drained noodles with a little water, toss to break up clumps, and cook until nearly done

Add the drained noodles to the wok, along with a splash of the water from the glass, tossing to break up any clumps. Fry until they start to dry out, then add the sauce and cook, tossing continuously, until the noodles are almost done (they should still be slightly chewy, ideally, but it’s a matter of taste; just bear in mind that they’ll be cooked a little more before you’re finished).

6 Fry the protein

Push the noodles to the side of the wok, so they’re no longer over a direct heat, then pour the remaining oil into the pan. Add the tofu and prawns, and cook, stirring, until the prawns are pink and the tofu starts to colour, then push these to the side of the pan along with the noodles.

Stir Fried Noodles 03



Push the noodles to the side of the wok, add the tofu and prawns, fry until cooked, then add beansprouts, spring onions and nuts.

7 Add the eggs

Pour the eggs into the wok, then break the yolks with your spatula, or whatever implement you’re using to stir-fry. Once the eggs are beginning to set on the bottom of the pan, scramble them roughly and cook until they separate into dry curds.

8 Bring together and serve

Push the noodles, tofu and prawns back into the middle of the wok and add the radish (if using), dried shrimp, beansprouts, chives and peanuts. Toss together, until everything is well combined, then serve up either in individual portions or on one big platter, along with the garnishes for diners to add as they wish.

9 And to veganise…

This is an easy dish to make vegan, if that’s your preference: fish sauce substitutes are fairly widely available these days (as are gluten-free ones, incidentally), and you can add extra tofu to make up for the animal products (scrambled soft tofu can stand in for the eggs), or add a vegetable of your choice instead, cooking or blanching it first, if need be.



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