Proper Pad Thai

Restaurant pad thai away from Thailand often goes sweet and red. The real thing is sour first, then salty, then sweet, and it is barely orange at all. Get the sauce right in a jug before you turn the heat on and the rest is four minutes of stirring.

1. 1

   Soak the noodles in warm tap water for 20 minutes until bendy but still firm. They finish cooking in the pan, so undercook them here.

   For this step

   • 180 g flat rice noodles
2. 2

   Stir the tamarind, sugar and fish sauce together in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Taste it. It should make you wince slightly, sour before sweet.

   For this step

   • 3 tbsp tamarind paste
   • 2½ tbsp (32 g) palm sugar or soft brown sugar
   • 2½ tbsp fish sauce
3. 3

   Get a wok or wide pan very hot with the oil. Fry the tofu for 2 minutes until it takes colour, then add the prawns and cook for 1 minute a side.

   For this step

   • 200 g raw prawns
   • 100 g firm tofu
4. 4

   Push everything to one side, crack in the eggs and scramble them roughly in the empty half for 20 seconds.

   For this step

   • 2 eggs
5. 5

   Add the drained noodles and the sauce. Toss constantly for 2 minutes until the noodles turn glossy and soften.

   For this step

   • 180 g flat rice noodles
   • 2½ tbsp fish sauce
6. 6

   Throw in the beansprouts, chives and half the peanuts, toss twice more, and serve with the rest of the peanuts and a wedge of lime.

   For this step

   • 2 cups (150 g) beansprouts
   • ⅓ cup (45 g) roasted peanuts
   • 1 handful garlic chives or spring onion
   • 1 lime

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