Homemade Pad Thai
Pad Thai with tofu and prawns
Pad Thai is a popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish known for its bold, balanced flavors—sweet, sour, salty, and umami. It typically features rice noodles stir-fried with eggs, tofu or a protein like shrimp or chicken, and flavored with tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and sometimes chili. It's often garnished with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and green onions for added crunch and freshness.
Today I am sharing quick and easy Homemade Pad Thai recipe you can make in under 30 minutes! I am using tofu and fresh prawns, all tossed in a simple 3-ingredient sauce—tamarind pure, fish sauce, and brown sugar. It’s packed with flavor and uses ingredients easily found at most supermarkets.
Hope you enjoy!
INGREDIENTS (2 servings)
Rice noodles / Rice Sticks - 200g
Prawns / Shrimps - 200g
Firm tofu - 120g
Eggs - 2 large
Bean sprouts - 100g
Peanuts - 35g
Garlic - 5 cloves
Shallots - 50g
Dried Shrimp - 35g
Scallions - 25g
Lime - 1
Cooking oil - 5 tbsp
SAUCE
Tamarind Pure - 2 tbsp
Brown sugar (or palm sugar) - 3 tbsp
Fish Sauce - 4 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp
(adjust to your taste)
Ingredients
Rice noodles, or rice sticks
Soaking rice noodles in room-temperature water
3-ingredient sauce - tamarind pure, fish sauce and brown sugar
Cooking process
Cooking process
Cooking process
Cooking process
Cooking process
Ready to serve!
COOKING PROCESS
PREPARING THE INGREDIENTS
Mince 5 cloves of garlic
Dice 50g of shallots
Clean and devein 200g of shrimp/prawns
Cut 120g of firm tofu into bite size pieces (after patting dry to remove excess water)
Cut the green parts of scallions (25g) into 2-inch pieces
Crush some toasted peanuts (35g)
Soak 200g of dried rice noodles (or rice sticks) in room-temperature water for about 30 minutes, or until they become flexible. I avoid boiling them or soaking them in hot water, as it often causes the noodles to stick together.
MAKING THE SAUCE
In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of tamarind purée, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 4 tablespoons of water until well combined.
For a more authentic flavor and richer color, you can use palm sugar instead of brown sugar. If using palm sugar, prepare the sauce on the stove—first melt and caramelize the palm sugar, then add the tamarind purée, fish sauce, and water.
STIR FRY PROCESS
Heat 5 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large wok over medium-high heat.
Add the prawns and sauté for 4–5 minutes, depending on their size, until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
In the same wok, add the sliced tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Add the garlic and shallots, and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Then add the dried shrimp and cook for another minute.
Push everything to one side of the wok, crack in the eggs, and scramble them until fully cooked, about 1–2 minutes.
Take the noodles directly from the bowl of water and add them to the wok without draining. Pour in half of the prepared sauce and give it a quick toss. Then let everything simmer until the noodles are soft. If needed, sprinkle in a bit more water.
Now add the fried tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, and cooked prawns to the wok, along with the remaining sauce. Toss everything together until well combined.
Finish with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts, and it’s ready to serve!
Don’t forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice over the dish before serving—it’s a must for that perfect balance of flavor!
Hope you enjoy this recipe! Please watch the Youtube video for more info - Quick and easy homemade Pad Thai recipe! Beginners recipe under 30 minutes
