This carrot noodle Pad Thai with shaved carrots is a healthy twist on a takeout favorite. It's perfectly cooked carrot noodles, bean sprouts, prawns, and egg tossed in a tasty tamarind sauce, and served with all the toppings. It's easy to make, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
3tablespoonstamarind paste, see notes
¼cuppalm sugar, can use brown sugar
1tablespoonfish sauce
1tablespoonsoy sauce, gluten-free if needed
4mediumcarrots
2tablespoonscooking oil, divided
1mediumonion, sliced thin
3clovesgarlic, minced
10largeprawns
2largeeggs
2cupsbean sprouts
2green onions, sliced
1handfulcilantro, stems torn off
1lime, juiced
Sriracha, chopped chilis, extra green onions, cilantro, and whole peanuts, to serve
Instructions
Add the tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce to a small bowl and mix well.
3 tablespoons tamarind paste, ¼ cup palm sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Peel the carrots then slice them into long ribbons using the peeler. (See the blog post for more detailed instructions.) Place the carrot noodles into a large bowl.
4 medium carrots
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times, until they have turned pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the prawns and onions from the pan.
2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 10 large prawns
Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into the pan. Once it is hot, crack the eggs into the pan and stir them around. Cook them until they are scrambled then remove them from the pan and put them in the same bowl as the prawns.
2 large eggs
Put the pan back on the heat and add the carrot noodles. Unless you have a very big skillet they will barely fit. Don't worry, they will shrink as they cook. Cook them for about 2 minutes, turning them with tongs so they cook evenly. Add the bean sprouts and mix them in using the tongs. Pour in the tamarind sauce and continue to toss the noodles. Continue to cook the noodles until they are soft but still have a slight crunch, about 2-3 more minutes.
2 cups bean sprouts
Add the green onions, cilantro, and cooked onions, prawns, and eggs back into the pot and toss it so everything is mixed in well.
2 green onions, 1 handful cilantro
Divide the pad thai between two bowls. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat to high. Let the liquid in the pan boil until it thickens then pour it over the noodles.
Top the pad thai with a squeeze of lime juice and any or all of the optional toppings. Serve right away.
1 lime, Sriracha, chopped chilis, extra green onions, cilantro, and whole peanuts
Notes
If you're able to buy tamarind paste in a jar, that's the easiest. If not, it comes in a block and must be soaked in a little hot water before you remove the seeds and pulp. While this recipe makes a large skillet of pad thai, because it is made with carrot noodles, it is not as filling as regular pad thai, which is why we show it serving only 2 people. To make this a family dinner, serve it with some baked chicken thighs to make it more filling!