Ask anyone whose had Thai food what their first foray with the cuisine was like and they’ll probably mention Pad Thai.
A favorite dish among many Thai restaurant-goers, many of us have no idea as to how to recreate it at home. People are often intimidated to cook ethnic food but usually, you’re working with the same basic ingredients, but new spices and flavors.
This dish is a lot slimmer than the Pad Thai you get from you favorite take-out joint, as I have a sneaking suspicion that most restaurants use more than three tablespoons of oil.
You can use whatever protein you like here, but I suggest tofu or pre-cooked chicken. To be honest, cooking with tofu is easier and decidedly more appealing to me than cooking with poultry or beef. Don’t get me wrong – I’m as much of a carnivore as anyone else and I’ve been known to make myself a nice filet mignon on occasion – but the fact that you have to sanitize your cooking surface after touching raw poultry and can get a number of deadly diseases from meat that hasn’t been cooked properly will never cease to give me the creeps.
Well, on that note, bon appétit!
Sauce:- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice from one large lime
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Noodles:- 8 ounces rice noodles (Pad Thai style)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil (divided)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu, cubed (or substitute 1 pound cooked chicken, cubed)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons scallions or red peppers (garnish, optional)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (garnish, optional)
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in wok or pan over high heat. Add garlic, shallots and tofu to pan and cook until tofu (or cooked chicken) is heated through and begins to caramelize around the edges. Set aside on a plate or in a large bowl.
- Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pan then pour in eggs; stir until cooked, about 1 minute. Make sure to break up the egg into small pieces. Reduce heat to low, add sauce and noodles to pan and mix well.
- Add cooked tofu and bean sprouts to noodles and toss. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts, scallions, and lime wedges and serve hot.
30 Comments
Getting To Know…In Good Taste | Running With Mascara
May 13, 2011 at 2:41 pm[…] Tofu Pad Thai is one of the most popular recipes on my site. That would be a good place to start! For dessert, […]
JulieD
April 17, 2011 at 10:37 pmI grew up on tofu and love it, thanks for this recipe! I’m going to bookmark this and try it…I have tried pad thai before and have had bad results!
Amy
April 14, 2011 at 2:35 amThis sounds delicious! I have never made tofu pad thai, always with seafood, but I think I would prefer the tofu! Must try this recipe :)!
Simply Life
April 10, 2011 at 10:44 amI’ve been wanting to attempt pad thai – this looks delicious!
Jenifesto
April 7, 2011 at 11:28 amWe’ve been cooking your roasted veggie lasagna and chipotle black bean pizzas regularly for a while now – this is so exciting to have a new vegetarian recipe from you, and pad Thai to boot! Can’t wait to try this soon!
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen
April 6, 2011 at 3:49 amPad thai is one of my absolute favorite meals..I have never tried it with tofu though…looks like I need too! 😉
Shannon
April 4, 2011 at 8:42 pmi really need to try this at home, looks fantastic!!
Gen
April 4, 2011 at 7:41 pmI’ve actually never had Pad Thai…..it looks really, good though!!! 😀 Thanks for posting the recipe!
Blond Duck
April 4, 2011 at 5:58 pmThis is one of my husband’s favorites! Hooray!
fooddreamer
April 4, 2011 at 4:10 pmI adore pad thai, and lately have been trying to work more tofu into my family’s diet. Great recipe!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
April 4, 2011 at 4:03 pmMaris, this looks so delicious! I have been so curious to go outside my comfort zone and try authentic Asian cooking, and this just might give me the push in the right direction. Thanks for sharing this healthy, scrumptious looking and inspiring dish! My thighs could definitely use something like this right now! 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
April 4, 2011 at 11:34 amGosh, I haven’t had Pad Thai in ages! It used to be one of my favorite take-out meals. Thanks for lightening up the recipe too.
Roz
April 3, 2011 at 10:29 pmLOVE pad thai, and will definitely try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
betty
April 3, 2011 at 11:58 pmoh i LOVE pad thai! thanks for sharing this with us 😀
Liz - Meal Makeover Mom
April 3, 2011 at 11:24 pmHi Maris:
How are you? I was thinking about you today because I got an email from a dietitian who told me she wants to start a blog. She’s in her 20’s and wants to create content for a younger audience (younger than me)! Her name is Amanda, and I suggested she check out your blog.
In the meantime, my hubby has become a vegetarian (long story), so your noodles look like something he’d love!
Hope life’s treating you well. Let me know if you’ll be at BlogHer Food… I will
Heidi Renée
April 3, 2011 at 7:47 pmI’ve been making pad thai at home for a while now. So nice not to have to go out for it.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
April 3, 2011 at 6:49 pmPad Thai is a perennial favorite in our house, and tofu or shrimp the favorite mix-ins. Nice to have a lighter-than-restaurant-take-out alternative!
Delishhh
April 3, 2011 at 6:05 pmYUM YUM! Huge fan of Thai food and will eat Pad Thai any day. Looks really good.
Thewonderingchef
April 3, 2011 at 5:25 pmThe looks of this pad thai made me hungry..again:)
Katerina
April 3, 2011 at 4:43 pmThe most authentic versions I have been able to make at home always include ketchup for some reason.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
April 3, 2011 at 1:24 pmThis looks really tasty Maris! A friend loves pad thai but is trying to be more healthy-I’ll point her in the direction of this recipe! 🙂
Jessica
April 3, 2011 at 12:28 pmAmazing girl. I love the pad thai- Its funny- I just bought some noodles to do this dish this week. I will definitely be taking some pointers from your recipe. I love your use of tofu. My son who is 2 yrs old actually loves tofu but hates meats. So I am asked about this one! Xo
Jessica
Joanne
April 3, 2011 at 12:17 pmPad thai was definitely the first thai dish that I ever ate…and since I’ve started getting more into food I’ve realized just how few thai places really do it justice. When it’s good, it’s GOOD…but most of time…it’s a greasy pool of oil. Yours looks fantastic though! And I am all about the tofu. Good stuff.
Laura
April 3, 2011 at 12:15 pmI love a good Pad Thai! And I’ve tried to recreate it in my own kitchen with varying levels of success. Most of the recipes I used has a peanut sauce but I’m intrigued by your simple fish, sugar, and lime sauce. I’m got pretty much all the ingredients on hand so I’ll have to give it a try soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Erica
April 3, 2011 at 3:24 amThis sounds awesome! I’ve actually never had pad thai, but Josh LOVES it. And I love that this is a lighter version- book marking!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
April 3, 2011 at 3:00 amI do love Thai food, and this looks good with the tofu. I know what you mean about the raw chicken- it’s my least favorite thing to touch. (I even wear gloves sometimes!)
A Plum By Any Other Name
April 3, 2011 at 12:52 amAll I need is the bean sprouts and cilantro and this dish is made. Couldn’t agree more about the tofu. It’s my go-to protein during busy weeks. It’s already cooked and can be added to pretty much anything with some fish sauce, lime juice and peanuts! 😉
Kate@Diethood.com
April 2, 2011 at 6:27 pmPad Thai was my first Thai dish and I loved it! This looks really really good… I am not crazy about Tofu but I can see how it can work really well with the combo of flavors that you have here. Beautiful dish!
Autumn @ Good Eats Girl
April 2, 2011 at 2:00 pmOh, goodness! This looks awesome! I love Pad Thai!
Daryl
April 2, 2011 at 12:19 pmWow! I can’t keep up with you! This looks like perfection to me. I like tofu alot and find it hard to get it in take out the way I like it