Simply toss them in when you add the noodles so they can warm through without overcooking. The Thai dish is also a great vehicle for leftover proteins like poached chicken breasts or pan-fried firm tofu. Since this is a noodle stir-fry, you want to have everything prepped-including the chopped green onions and peanuts, soaked rice sticks, and the pad Thai sauce-before you start cooking the scrambled eggs. For the tamarind paste or concentrate, be sure it’s a Southeast Asian variety, as the ones from India have a different concentration. You can find both at most Asian markets and increasingly at larger grocery stores. While palm sugar can be swapped for brown sugar, fish sauce and tamarind are non-negotiable. There are many riffs on Thailand’s most iconic dish, including ones with sauce ingredients like peanut butter, soy sauce, and even ketchup cut with rice vinegar-but authentic pad Thai gets its balance of flavors from fruity-tangy tamarind, umami-rich fish sauce, and palm sugar.

Unless there’s a Thai restaurant next door, you can likely make this easy pad Thai recipe faster than it would take to place an order, tie your shoes, and pick up some takeout.

Cook pad thai