Name: Chicken Pad Thai
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 90 ml fish sauce; 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce; 60 g palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely shaved or chopped so it dissolves easily; 60 ml tamarind concentrate or puree; 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce; 65 g creamy peanut butter; 250 g dried Pad Thai rice sticks; 60–90 ml vegetable or canola oil; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium brown or yellow onion, thinly sliced; 300 g chicken breast or boneless skinless thigh, thinly sliced; 4 large eggs, lightly whisked; 250 g bean sprouts; 150 g firm tofu, cut into 3cm batons; 25 g garlic chives, cut into 3cm pieces; 70 g roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped and divided; 1 lime, cut into wedges; dried chilli flakes, to taste; 1 handful extra raw bean sprouts, per plate

Method

Whisk the sauce. In a small bowl or jug, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, Sriracha and peanut butter (if using). Stir well until the sugar and peanut butter have dissolved into a smooth paste. If using solid palm sugar or thick peanut butter, warm the mixture briefly or add 15 ml warm water to help it blend.
Put the rice sticks into a large heatproof bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water to submerge them completely. Soak for 5 minutes until pliable but still firm in the centre. Drain immediately in a colander and rinse briefly under cold running water to stop the cooking and remove surface starch. Do not leave the drained noodles for more than 5–10 minutes before stir-frying, or they will clump together.
5 mins
Heat 60 ml of the oil in a large wok, spacious non-stick pan or well-seasoned skillet over a high heat. Add the garlic and onion and toss for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry for 1½ minutes until mostly cooked through.
2 mins
Push the chicken and onions to one side of the pan. Pour the whisked eggs into the empty side, adding a little extra oil first if the pan looks dry. Scramble quickly until soft curds form, then fold them together with the chicken.
Add the bean sprouts, tofu, drained noodles and the mixed sauce to the pan. Toss gently with two utensils, such as tongs and a spatula, over a high heat for 1½ minutes until the noodles absorb the glossy sauce and soften completely.
2 mins
Scatter in the garlic chives and half of the chopped peanuts. Toss through quickly for 10–15 seconds until the chives just wilt, then remove from the heat immediately.
Divide among 4 plates and top immediately with the remaining chopped peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, a pile of extra crisp bean sprouts and a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes, and squeeze the lime over the noodles right before eating.

Serving suggestions

Divide among 4 plates and top with the remaining chopped peanuts. Serve the traditional Thai way with lime wedges, a pile of extra raw bean sprouts on the side and dried chilli flakes. Squeeze the lime over the noodles just before eating.

Cook’s tips

The calories are for the recipe without the optional peanut butter, which adds about 98 kcal per serving. Use your widest wok or skillet so the noodles fry rather than steam. If your pan is medium-sized, divide the noodles, sauce and prepped ingredients in half and cook two quick 4-minute batches back to back. Do not leave drained noodles sitting for more than 5–10 minutes before stir-frying, or they will clump. If the sugar or peanut butter is slow to dissolve, warm the sauce briefly or add 15 ml warm water. Seven palm sugar pebbles weigh roughly 60 g. Rice vinegar can stand in for tamarind if you cannot get it. One tablespoon of Sriracha gives a gentle background warmth, so serve chilli flakes at the table for anyone who wants more heat.