Easy Pad Thai recipe

There are two categories of entrée in Thailand: dishes served with rice, and noodle dishes, which are presented as one-pot meals and often eaten on the go. Rice noodles cook more quickly than wheat pasta and are the perfect neutral vehicle for intense Thai flavors. This Pad Thai is not the dish from the neighborhood take-out joint. "It ain't made with chicken," says Ricker, whose traditional take—pleasantly funky with fish sauce and preserved radish and a touch sour from tamarind—is meant to be eaten in the evening as a stand-alone dish.

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

5 ounces pad thai rice noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)
2 tablespoons 1x1/2x1/8" slices pressed tofu (bean curd)
1 tablespoon sweet preserved shredded radish, rinsed, chopped into 1" pieces
1 cup bean sprouts
5 tablespoons tamarind water, or 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon tamarind paste mixed with 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons (or more) Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup, preferably made with palm sugar
4 garlic chives, 2 cut into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground dried Thai chiles, divided
2 tablespoons crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts, divided
2 lime wedges

PREPARATION

Place noodles in a large bowl; pour hot water over to cover. Let soak until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg; stir until barely set, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, if using. Cook, stirring, until shrimp and egg are almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add tofu and radish; cook for 30 seconds. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sprouts. Add tamarind water, fish sauce, and simple syrup and stir-fry until sauce is absorbed by noodles and noodles are well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped garlic chives. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground chiles and 1 tablespoon peanuts and toss well.