Marion’s Favourite Prawn Pad Thai
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Recipe
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This dish is honestly one of my forever favourites. I remember sitting at the kitchen table as a kid, watching Mum pull this together like it was second nature with those tangy, sweet, savoury aromas dancing through the house. I’d pinch bites straight from the wok (sorry Mum!). It’s the kind of meal I’ve loved my whole life and I still come back to it when I need comfort or just a proper good dinner.
A Brief History of Pad Thai
Pad Thai, surprisingly, isn’t centuries old. It actually gained popularity in the 1930s and ’40s during a period of national modernisation in Thailand. The government promoted the dish as a way to foster Thai identity and boost the economy by encouraging the use of locally made rice noodles. With its sweet-sour tang, chewy noodles, and blend of local ingredients, Pad Thai quickly became a beloved street food staple and is now one of Thailand’s most famous culinary exports.
What is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is Thailand’s iconic stir-fried noodle dish. It’s tangy, sweet, a little nutty and absolutely addictive. It’s made with rice noodles tossed in a tamarind-based sauce, stir-fried with prawns or tofu, fresh herbs and crunchy bean shoots.
What’s the deal with tamarind?
Tamarind concentrate is the hero that gives Pad Thai its signature tang. That little sour punch lifts the dish and brings everything together in perfect harmony.
Thai Pickled Radish: What Is It and Where to Buy
Thai-style pickled radish (often labelled
chai poh
or
chai po
) is a preserved radish that’s been salted and sometimes sweetened, then finely chopped before being added to dishes like Pad Thai. It brings an unmistakable salty-sour kick and a touch of umami. You’ll usually find it in vacuum-sealed packs at Asian grocery stores: either in the fridge section or with the dried goods. Look for the finely shredded or diced variety in clear packaging.
Dried Shrimp: How to Use
In the video, I use very small dried shrimp; tiny and fine enough that they almost melt into the sauce as they cook, adding that classic umami note without any chew. I buy these from my local Asian grocer. If your dried shrimp are on the larger or firmer side, you’ll need to soak them in just-boiled water for about 15 minutes (or until softened), then finely chop them before using. That way, they blend into the dish rather than overpowering it.
What You Need
Dried shrimp
Rice stick noodles
Tamarind
Palm sugar
Fish sauce
Dark soy sauce
Vegetable oil
Shallot
Prawns
Pickled radish
Tofu
Eggs
Chinese chives
Bean shoots
Crushed peanuts
Lime
Chilli powder
Spring onion
Steps
Soak the rice stick noodles in room temperature water for 30 minutes or until softened but still firm. Then cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until just tender but not too soft. Drain and set aside.
For the sauce, combine the tamarind concentrate, palm sugar, fish sauce and dark soy sauce in
a small saucepan
over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
Heat the oil in
a wok
or
large frying pan
over high heat. Add the shallot and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the softened dried shrimp, pickled radish and tofu and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Push everything to one side of the pan and pour the egg into the empty space. Let it set and get golden on the bottom. Then break it up and mix it through.
Add the noodles and sauce. Stir-fry until well combined, then toss through the garlic chives and bean shoots.
Remove from heat and divide among
serving plates.
Top with crushed peanuts and serve with lime wedges, chilli powder and spring onion.
Chinese Garlic Chives and Easy Substitutes
Chinese garlic chives (sometimes called
gow choy
or
jiu cai
) are flat, dark green, and have a mild garlicky flavour that works beautifully in stir-fries like Pad Thai. They’re less sharp than raw garlic or onion and bring a subtle depth to the dish. If you can’t find them at your local grocer or Asian supermarket, regular spring onions (green onions) are a totally fine substitute. They’ll still give you a lovely freshness and a hint of allium that ties in with the rest of the flavours.
Marion’s Favourite Prawn Pad Thai
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PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
10 minutes
SERVES
2
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Ingredients
½ tbsp small dried shrimp*
100g thin dried rice noodles
50g tamarind concentrate
60g palm sugar, finely shaved
3 tbsp fish sauce
¼ tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Asian red shallot, sliced
300g prawns, peeled and deveined
2 tsp finely chopped pickled radish (also known as sweetened radish or preserved radish)*
50g firm tofu, cut into small dice
2 eggs, lightly whisked
¼ cup Chinese chives, cut into 2cm batons*
¼ cup bean shoots, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
Lime wedges, to serve
Chilli powder, to serve
Spring onion, to serve
What to do if you can’t (or can’t be bothered) to get all the ingredients?
Well those of you in Australia are in luck! My
Marion’s KItchen Pad Thai Meal Kit
is available in the Asian aisle at Coles, Woolworths and independent supermarkets. It’s the only kit you’ll find that includes all the proper bits…pickled radish, garlic chives and dried shrimp included!
Instructions
1
Cook the Noodles
Soak the rice stick noodles in room temperature water for 30 minutes or until softened but still firm. Then cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until just tender but not too soft. Drain and set aside.
2
Make the Sauce
For the sauce, combine the tamarind concentrate, palm sugar, fish sauce and dark soy sauce in
a small saucepan
over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
3
Stir-Fry the Aromatics and Prawns
Heat the oil in
a wok
or
large frying pan
over high heat. Add the shallot and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the softened dried shrimp, pickled radish and tofu and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
4
Cook the Egg
Push everything to one side of the pan and pour the egg into the empty space. Let it set and get golden on the bottom. Then break it up and mix it through.
5
Combine Noodles and Sauce
Add the noodles and sauce. Stir-fry until well combined, then toss through the garlic chives and bean shoots.
6
Serve
Remove from heat and divide among
serving plates.
Top with crushed peanuts and serve with lime wedges, chilli powder and spring onion.
Notes
Dried shrimp
-if your dried shrimp are on the larger or firmer side, you’ll need to soak them in just-boiled water for about 15 minutes (or until softened), then finely chop them before using. Alternatively seek out the very small, fine dried shrimp I used in the recipe video.
Pickled radish
can be found in shelf-stable packets from your Asian or Thai grocery store.
Chinese garlic chives
are traditional here, but if you can’t get a hold of them, sliced spring onion is also fine.
