Kwitiaow Pad Thai
Submitted by papa jim
Kwitiaow Pad Thai with rice noodles, prawns, bean curd, egg, and peanuts in a tamarind-palm sugar sauce. An authentic Thai street food classic with traditional condiments on the side.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThis Pad Thai is built the traditional way: rice noodles stir-fried in a screaming hot wok with shrimp, bean curd, eggs, and bean sprouts, all tossed in a sauce made from tamarind, palm sugar, and fish sauce reduced down to a thick, concentrated glaze. The condiment spread on the side (chopped peanuts, dried chillies, sugar, lime wedges, spring onions, and fresh bean sprouts) lets everyone customize their bowl.
The sauce gets made first and reduced to about ⅔ cup. This concentration step is crucial. Watery sauce makes soggy noodles. Thick, syrupy sauce clings to every strand and caramelizes slightly in the hot wok, giving that characteristic sweet-sour-salty balance that makes Pad Thai addictive.
Preserved radish (chai poh) is the ingredient that separates authentic Pad Thai from simplified Western versions. It adds a salty, slightly funky crunch that you can’t replicate with anything else. Combined with dried shrimp, it creates layers of umami that depth that fresh shrimp alone can’t deliver.
Breaking the eggs directly into the wok with the prawns and bean curd creates those signature ribbons of cooked egg woven throughout the noodles. Don’t scramble them separately. Stir them into the hot mix and let them set in irregular pieces.
Chef Tips
- Soak dried rice noodles in cold water for 7 to 10 minutes, not hot water. Hot water softens them too much and they’ll turn mushy in the wok
- The wok must be extremely hot before adding oil. Pad Thai needs intense heat for that smoky wok flavor (wok hei) that defines street-style cooking
- Add chicken stock with the noodles to help them soften and absorb the sauce evenly
- Serve immediately. Pad Thai doesn’t hold well. The noodles absorb sauce and turn sticky as they sit
Variations
- Swap prawns for sliced chicken breast or leave the protein as tofu-only for a vegetarian version
- Use regular white sugar if palm sugar is unavailable, though the flavor will be less complex
- Add a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce to the finished dish for a spicier kick
Ingredients
Directions
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a pan and boil until reduced to about ⅔ cup.
Set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in a wok or pan until very hot, then add the prawns and bean curd and stir-fry lightly for 1 minute.
Add the preserved radish and shallot, fry for 1 minute, and break in the eggs.
Stir-fry for a minute, then add the noodles and chicken stock.
When the noodles are soft (about 2 minutes), add the dried shrimps, peanuts, spring onions and bean sprouts.
Add the sauce, fry for a couple of minutes and serve.
Serve accompanied by chopped peanuts, chopped dry chillies, sugar, lime wedges, spring onions, and fresh bean sprouts, all in small containers.
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