Pad Thai Poo
Thailand's beloved stir-fried rice noodles with succulent crab, finished with a balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. Topped with crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime for brightness.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 545
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 6 ounces dried rice noodles (1/4-inch wide)
- 8 ounces crab meat (fresh or canned, drained)
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1 whole shallot
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, unsalted (roughly crushed)
- 2 whole scallions (green parts only)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of room-temperature water for 20 minutes, until they are pliable but still firm enough to hold their shape—they should bend without breaking.
- 2
While noodles soak, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 3
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—and place in a small bowl.
- 4
Slice the shallot in half lengthwise from root to tip, then slice each half crosswise into thin half-rings about 1/8-inch thick.
- 5
Crack the eggs into a separate small bowl and whisk together with a fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined.
- 6
Slice the scallions crosswise at an angle into 1-inch pieces, keeping white parts separate from green parts in two small bowls.
- 7
Drain the soaked noodles in a colander, shaking them gently to remove excess water, then spread them on a clean kitchen towel.
- 8
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly across the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 9
Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and stir constantly for 15 seconds until the aroma becomes intensely fragrant and fills the kitchen—do not let it brown.
- 10
Add the sliced shallot to the pan and stir once every 2–3 seconds for about 1 minute, until the shallots are soft and beginning to turn golden at the edges.
- 11
Pour the whisked eggs into the center of the pan and let them sit without stirring for 10 seconds, then scramble them with a wooden spoon into small, bite-sized curds.
- 12
Push the egg curds to one side of the pan, then slide the drained rice noodles into the empty space and let them rest undisturbed for 20 seconds—this helps them separate.
- 13
Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir the entire mixture with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, turning and flipping constantly so the noodles coat evenly with sauce.
- 14
Add the crab meat and the white parts of the scallions to the pan, then stir constantly for 1 minute until the crab is warmed through and the noodles are tender.
- 15
Remove the pan from heat, then taste a small bite of noodle and add a pinch more salt if needed—the dish should taste equally sweet, salty, and sour.
- 16
Divide the noodle mixture between two plates, mounding it in the center of each plate and leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.
- 17
Scatter the bean sprouts in a loose handful on top of each mound of noodles.
- 18
Sprinkle the crushed peanuts evenly over the top of both plates, using about 2 tablespoons per plate.
- 19
Scatter the green parts of the scallions and any remaining white parts over the top as a final garnish.
Tools you’ll need
- large bowl (for soaking noodles)
- small bowls (for sauce, garlic, eggs, bean sprouts, and scallions)
- colander
- clean kitchen towel
- whisk
- fork
- 12-inch skillet or wok
- wooden spoon
- two dinner plates
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