Easy Homemade Shrimp & Veg Pad Thai (Edit recipe)

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Pad Thai, in my opinion, is the easiest noodle dish one can make at home. It's perfect to make on busy weeknights and if you prep all the ingredients beforehand, you just need 15 mins of hands on time. This recipe is not a 100% authentic but it definitely is inspired by my travels to Thailand (& a cooking class I took there from a Thai family). I swapped the sometimes hard-to-find ingredients such as dried shrimp & sweet preserved radish with more accessible ingredients, made it more nutrient dense & veggie-packed; all while preserving the traditional Thai flavors. So give it a try!

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PREP TIME

1 hour

COOK TIME

15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

21

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

4 oz Rice Noodles, Medium sized
4 - 6 cups Water, for soaking noodles
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, or any neutral tasting oil
16 - 20 whole Shrimp, Raw, Peeled and deveined
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 whole Shallot, chopped
0.5 cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced into thin strips
0.5 cup Carrots, sliced into thin strips
1 - 2 whole Baby Bok Choy, roughly chopped

For the Pad Thai Sauce

3 - 4 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
3 Tbsp Powdered Palm Jaggery (Palm Sugar), or Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

For Garnish

2 Tbsp Peanuts, roasted & coarsely ground
0.25 cup Bean Sprouts
1 tsp Crunchy Chili Onion - Trader Joe's, or your favorite Chili Oil
1 whole Lime, sliced into wedges
1 Tbsp Green Onion (Scallion), sliced, just the green part

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Process

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Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for 1 hour. I like using Erawan brand Rice noodles in medium size for this Pad Thai as they are made with just 2 ingredients - Rice flour and water, and are a product of Thailand. Soaking time may vary for noodles from other brands. Follow the package instructions. If the noodles seem pliable i.e. they bend without resisting, then they are ready to use. I also like cutting the noodles in half using a pair of scissors so that they are easier to work with and toss in the pan.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce and your other ingredients.
For the sauce, heat the palm sugar (or brown sugar) in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring and once the sugar has melted, add tamarind paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then turn off the heat. If the sugar has hardened, don't worry. It will dissolve as the sauce rests. Note: Soy sauce is traditionally not added to Pad Thai sauce, but I add it for the color and flavor. Feel free to skip it or swap it with Coconut Aminos.
Heat a wok or non-stick skillet on high and add oil.
Add the shrimp (or protein of your choice) and allow it to cook for 1-1.5 minutes on each side, just until they develop a nice sear and turn pink. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add more oil if necessary and then add your sliced garlic and shallots. When golden, add the sliced veggies. I used carrots, red bell peppers and bok choy but feel free to use whatever you have on hand to make this Pad thai more nutrient dense.
Once the veggies have cooked about 75%, drain the rice noodles and add to the pan.
Add the prepared sauce and give it a good toss using a pair of tongs.
Add the cooked protein back to the pan along with any residual juices.
Give it one final toss and remove in serving bowls.
Garnish with ground peanuts, bean sprouts, green onions, lime wedges and your favorite chili oil. Enjoy!

Notes

For the Tamarind paste, I recommend using one that looks like a brown liquid with a pourable consistency and is a product of Thailand. The thick black colored Indian tamarind paste is more concentrated and different in taste. Also the sourness of the tamarind varies from brand to brand, so adjust based on your preference.
Although the traditional Pad Thai (the one sold by street vendors in Thailand) does not contain these veggies, I like adding them to make this recipe nutrient-dense. Note: If you add more than 1-1.5 cups of veggies, you will need to adjust the quantity of noodles & sauce.

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About This Recipe

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	1077
Fat:	35 g
Carbohydrates:	32 g
Protein:	130 g
Cholesterol:	1320 g
Sodium:	7092 mg
Fiber:	3 g
Sugars:	19 g
Sugar Alcohol:	0 g
Calculated for total recipe.