Pad Thai, or Phat Thai, is Thailand’s national street food dish, emerging in the 1930s-1940s as part of a campaign to promote Thai nationalism. It’s a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami flavors, typically featuring rice noodles stir-fried with shrimp, tofu, eggs, bean sprouts, and peanuts in a tamarind-based sauce.

Versatile and quick, it’s a staple of Thai cuisine emphasizing harmony in tastes.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 200g flat rice noodles
• 300g shrimp (or chicken/tofu)
• 2 eggs
• Bean sprouts, chives/garlic chives
• Sauce: tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, chili
• Roasted peanuts, lime
• Garlic, shallots

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Soak rice noodles in warm water until flexible; drain.
2. Make sauce by dissolving tamarind, sugar, and fish sauce.
3. In a hot wok, fry garlic/shallots, add shrimp and cook.
4. Push aside, scramble eggs.
5. Add noodles and sauce; toss to coat.
6. Stir in sprouts, chives, and peanuts; cook briefly.
7. Serve with lime wedges and extra peanuts/chili.

Tips: Use high heat for wok hei (breath of the wok) smokiness; adjust sauce for personal sweet-sour balance.