Name: Pad Thai with Shrimp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons tamarind paste; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons sugar; 300 g rice noodles; 300 g shrimp; 3 pcs eggs; 2 cloves garlic; 4 pcs spring onion; 150 g mung bean sprouts; peanut oil; 1.5 l water; 60 g peanuts; lime; chilli; coriander

Step by step process

Preparation

1
For Pad Thai with shrimp, first soak the rice noodles: place them in a bowl and cover completely with hot water. Let them soften for 8-10 minutes, then drain through a colander and quickly rinse with cold water - this keeps the noodles springy and prevents sticking.
TIP:
Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 8-10 minutes to soften them. Then rinse with cold water to prevent sticking and to keep them flexible.
2
Rinse the shrimp, pat dry and remove the vein if necessary. Finely chop the garlic. Divide the spring onion into white and green parts and slice both thinly on the bias.
3
In a small bowl, mix the tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar. Stir until dissolved. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water so the sauce reaches a syrupy consistency.
4
Roughly chop the peanuts and cut the lime into wedges. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of fish sauce for extra depth of flavour.

Cooking

5
Heat a wok over high heat, add peanut oil and toss in the shrimp. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until pink, then push them to the side of the wok. Add the chopped garlic and white parts of the spring onion to the centre and briefly stir until fragrant.
6
Pour in the beaten eggs and stir with a spatula until they form soft, broken curds that blend with the vegetables and garlic.
TIP:
Stir eggs in a heated pan using a spatula or wooden spoon to quickly coagulate them into soft, fluffy pieces. This results in a tender and airy texture.
7
Add the drained noodles and half the prepared tamarind sauce. Toss vigorously and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. If the noodles stiffen during cooking, add a little water by the spoonful to keep them supple and prevent scorching.
TIP:
When stir-frying rice noodles, add hot water tablespoon by tablespoon and stir continuously to keep them tender, prevent sticking, and avoid burning. This method also helps the noodles heat evenly.
8
Add the remaining sauce, mung bean sprouts, green parts of the spring onion and the shrimp from the side of the wok. Stir-fry for another 30-60 seconds until everything comes together and the sprouts stay crisp.

Serving

9
Divide the noodles into bowls, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and garnish with coriander if desired. Serve with lime wedges and ground chilli so everyone can adjust the sourness and heat to their liking.