Recipe for cooking delicious Stir-fried Rice Noodles [Pad Thai]

One of the most popular street-side snacks of Thailand, this dish of rice noodles is quickly stir-fried with seasonings, most of which are pantry basics.

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Serves 2-4

• 200 g (7 oz) flat rice noodles, about 3mm (J in wide)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 6 large raw prawns, which have been shelled and deveined (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons sliced shallots
• 125 g (4 oz) fresh beansprouts, washed and drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• 6 spring onions, cut into bite-sized lengths
• 1 small bunch garlic chives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons small dried shrimp, roughly pounded
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled radish (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 4 tablespoons roughly chopped roasted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• roasted peanuts, extra
• lime or lemon wedges for serving

Soak the rice noodles in hot (not boiling) water for 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Drain well before cooking. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok and stir-fry the raw prawns, if using, sprinkling salt to taste. Remove the prawns from the wok, add the remaining oil and fry the garlic and shallots over low heat making sure they don’t burn. Add half the bean sprouts and toss for a few seconds, then pour in the beaten eggs seasoned with salt and pepper.

Add the drained noodles and toss to mix, then add sugar, fish sauce, water and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep tossing until the noodles are cooked. Add the spring onions, garlic chives, dried shrimp, pickled radish, chilli sauce and roasted peanuts and toss for 1Ð2 minutes. Return the cooked prawns and heat through. Serve hot, garnished with small piles of chilli flakes, extra roasted peanuts and the reserved bean sprouts. The lemon or lime wedges are to be squeezed over individual servings as desired.