Pad Thai Goong

★★★★4.7· 289 ratings

·Serves 2

About this Dish

The classic restaurant version of Pad Thai, stir-fried with plump prawns, tamarind, and a scattering of crushed peanuts.

History & Origin

Pad Thai Goong — goong meaning prawn or shrimp — is the most commonly served version of Pad Thai both within Thailand and internationally, and is often simply what people mean when they order "Pad Thai" at a restaurant. It follows the same national dish standardized under Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram's campaign in the 1930s and 40s to promote a unifying Thai identity through food, but the addition of prawns as the primary protein became the default choice as the dish grew in popularity at seafood-adjacent restaurants and among tourists, for whom prawn Pad Thai became something of a signature order.

IngredientsServes 2

🍤Raw prawns, peeled, 300g

🍜Flat rice noodles, 250g

🥚Eggs, 2

🧅Shallots, sliced, 3

🫘Firm tofu, cubed, 100g

🥜Roasted peanuts, crushed, 4 tbsp

🍋Tamarind paste, 3 tbsp

🐟Fish sauce, 3 tbsp

🍬Palm sugar, 2 tbsp

🫘Bean sprouts and garlic chives, a handful each

Method

Soak the flat rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes until pliable but still firm, then drain.

Mix the tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl to make the sauce.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the shallots and tofu until the tofu is lightly golden.

Push to one side, add the prawns and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes.

Push everything aside, crack in the eggs and scramble briefly, then toss everything together with the drained noodles and sauce.

Add bean sprouts and garlic chives, tossing for another minute. Serve topped with crushed peanuts and a lime wedge.

What Makes it Authentic

Prawns should be added at just the right moment — too early and they overcook and toughen while the noodles are still frying. The tamarind-fish sauce-palm sugar balance should hit sour, salty and sweet in roughly equal measure, not lean sweet as many Western versions do.

Other Types of Pad Thai