A Bangkok street-wok classic — springy rice noodles tossed with plump tiger prawns, tamarind and crushed peanuts, cooked hot and fast the way a Thai hawker stall does it. This pad thai with tiger prawns balances sweet, sour and savoury in a single glossy toss, no takeaway box required.
It’s one of the 20 recipes inside our Thai Cookbook, and we’re sharing it in full so you can taste the standard before you buy the book. Once the noodles are soaked, the whole dish comes together in about ten minutes of wok time — so have every ingredient prepped and within reach.
Why this recipe works
The magic is in the mise en place and the heat. A three-ingredient tamarind sauce is whisked ahead so nothing stalls at the wok; the prawns sear first, the egg scrambles in the cleared centre, then the drained noodles hit the pan and everything tosses together in seconds. Cool-water soaking keeps the noodles pliable but firm, so they finish in the wok instead of turning to mush.
Ingredients
Noodles & prawns
- 200 g flat rice noodles, soaked 30 min
- 8 tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed
Sauce & aromatics
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 50 g garlic chives, cut in 4 cm batons
- 40 g roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
Optional garnish
- Lime wedges and dried chili flakes
Serves 2 · Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min · 625 kcal per serving
Instructions
- Build the sauce. Whisk tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves into a glossy caramel-toned dressing. Reserve.
- Sear the prawns. Heat a wok over high flame with 2 tbsp oil. Add garlic, then prawns, and sear 60 seconds per side until pink and curled. Push to the wok’s edge.
- Scramble and toss. Pour beaten egg into the cleared centre, let it set 10 seconds, then break up. Add drained noodles and the sauce, tossing vigorously for 90 seconds.
- Finish and plate. Fold in bean sprouts, garlic chives and half the peanuts for 30 seconds, keeping sprouts crisp. Plate and crown with remaining peanuts and garnish.
Chef’s tip
Soak the noodles in cool water, never hot — they should be pliable but firm. The wok finishes the cooking, and hot-soaked noodles turn to mush in 10 seconds.
Get the full Thai Cookbook
Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a 20-strong collection of Thai classics built the same way — clear ingredients, exact timings, no guesswork. Grab the full Thai Cookbook below.
