Homemade Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai

Some dishes seem simple, but their magic lies in balance. Good Pad Thai isn't just "stir-fry with sweet sauce." It's a precise interplay of tamarind's sourness, fish sauce's deep saltiness, palm sugar's rounded sweetness, a subtle spiciness, soft yet non-sticky noodles, and peanuts that provide the final crunch.

This is OOMAME's version of a high-quality homemade Pad Thai – one that respects the dish, but is still achievable in an Israeli kitchen. The goal isn't to "copy a restaurant," but to understand the logic of Thai cuisine: every bite should be sour, salty, sweet, spicy, nutty, and fresh all at once.

What to buy at OOMAME for this recipe

Want to make this without running between aisles? Add OOMAME's Pad Thai base to your cart - rice noodles, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts, and chili.

• Wide rice noodles for Pad Thai
• Thai fish sauce
• Tamarind paste / sauce
• Palm sugar or coconut sugar
• Roasted peanuts
• Crushed chili / chili flakes
• Light soy sauce
• Chopsticks / Asian serving utensils

 

Ingredients

 

For the noodles and stir-fry

• 180g wide rice noodles, soaked in lukewarm water for 30-45 minutes until flexible but not too soft
• 8-10 peeled shrimp, or 150g thinly sliced chicken breast
• 120g firm tofu, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped, if available
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled Thai radish, optional but adds depth
• A handful of bean sprouts
• 2-3 scallions or garlic chives, cut into segments
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges for serving
• Crushed chili for serving

For the Pad Thai sauce

• 3 tablespoons tamarind water or diluted tamarind paste
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons grated palm sugar or coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water, depending on thickness
• Optional: half a teaspoon of crushed chili for the sauce itself

Preparation instructions

1. Prepare the sauce

In a small bowl, mix tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, soy sauce, and hot water. Taste. The sauce should be sour, salty, and sweet simultaneously, with no single flavor overpowering the others.

If too sour - add a little sugar.
If too sweet - add a little tamarind.
If lacking depth - add a few drops of fish sauce.

2. Prepare all ingredients in advance

Pad Thai waits for no one. Once the wok is hot, everything happens quickly. Therefore, the shrimp, tofu, eggs, vegetables, and sauce should be ready by the stove before you begin.

3. Sear tofu and shrimp

Heat a wok or very wide pan over high heat. Add oil, sear the tofu until it's lightly golden, and set aside.

In the same pan, sear the shrimp for 30-45 seconds per side, just until they change color. Set aside. Do not cook them all the way through; they will return later.

4. Build an aromatic base

Add garlic and shallot to the pan. Stir for only 10-15 seconds, so they don't burn. Add the pickled radish if using.

5. Add noodles and sauce

Add the drained noodles and the sauce. Stir with lifting motions, not mashing. The goal is for the noodles to absorb the sauce and soften during the stir-fry.

If the pan is too dry, add a tablespoon of water.

6. Add eggs

Push the noodles to one side of the pan. Add a little oil to the empty area, crack the eggs, and partially scramble them. While they are still soft, mix them into the noodles.

7. Return everything and finish

Return the tofu and shrimp. Add bean sprouts and scallions. Stir for another 30-45 seconds. Turn off the heat.

8. Serve immediately

Serve with chopped peanuts, lime, crushed chili, and fresh bean sprouts on the side.

Chef's Tip

The most common mistake with Pad Thai is cooking rice noodles like pasta. Don't do that. Soaking them in lukewarm water and then finishing in a wok gives them an elastic, not mushy, texture.

Another important rule: don't overload the pan. An overcrowded wok steams the noodles instead of stir-frying them. 

If doubling quantities - work in two batches.

Variations and Adjustments

Vegetarian version

Replace fish sauce with light soy sauce with a little miso or mushroom sauce. Omit the shrimp and increase the amount of tofu.

Chicken version

Replace shrimp with 150g thinly sliced chicken thigh or breast. Sear quickly and intensely to maintain juiciness.

Spicy version

Add crushed chili to the sauce, and finish with a little chili oil on top.

Family version

Double the quantities, but work in two batches. At the end, combine for serving in a large bowl.

Why this dish works

Precisely because of this, Pad Thai is a perfect starting point for a home Thai pantry: a few correct ingredients, a little wok heat, and this dish stops feeling like something reserved only for a restaurant. It becomes a meal you can understand, prepare, play with - and return to again and again.

Opening a Thai pantry at home? Start here.

Start with the basic ingredients for Pad Thai - rice noodles, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts, and chili - and let OOMAME give you a little jump to Bangkok, without leaving your kitchen.