A pad Thai-palooza: 10 great recipes for this stir-fry favourite

With chewy noodles, crunchy veg and a sweet-sour sauce, this widely loved dish is easy to make. From beef, chicken and prawn versions to a vego one, too, here are some great recipes to try.

Chicken and prawn pad Thai Source: China Squirrel

Discover more about pad Thai and other Asian favourites including chilli crab, nasi lemak, ramen and lechon, in The Food That Built Asia, streaming at SBS On Demand from 15 January.

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A stir-fried rice noodle bowl that has become beloved around the world since it was invented in the 1940s, pad Thai (also pat Thai and phat Thai) is a delicious combination of flavours and textures. One of the key elements of a great pad Thai is the sauce, usually a combination of tamarind pulp, sugar and other flaboursome ingredients such as soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce or oyster sauce. Add in veg, protein (prawn and chicken are among the most popular additions) and toppings like crunchy bean shoots, and you have an easy, delicious dinner.

Here are some favourites to try, including a vego version.

Food Safari pad Thai

Let's start (because who doesn't love a Food Safari recipe) with this wonderful combination of noodles, prawns and crunchy fresh veggies, coated in that distinctive sweet and tangy source, shared by Jay Phao-Chinda:

Pad Thai Source: SBS Food

Beef pad Thai

If you want to beef up your bowl, try this beef pad Thai (pad Thai neua) by Amy Chanta. Soak the noodles a day ahead and you can have this delicious meal ready in 25 minutes. (Amy's tip: the secret to pad Thai is to stir-fry one serve at a time).

Beef pad Thai Source: Feast magazine

Pad Thai with prawns (pad thai goong)

Prawns are one of the most popular additions to a pad Thai. Try this version, from Sareen Rojanametin and Jean Thamthanakorn, which adds tofu, duck eggs and pickled turnip to the mix.

Source: Alana Dimou

Prawn pad Thai

Another option for those who love a prawn pad Thai, this one from Marion Grasby. Her dish is finished with a spoonful of chilli powder, great for fine-tuning your desired level of chilli punch.

Source: Wok Vs Pot with Marion and Silvia

Prawn pad thai

Illustrating just how popular prawns are as a pad Thai staple, we have a recipe from Adam Liaw, too!

Prawn pad thai Source: Jiwon Kim

Chicken and prawn pad Thai

There's layers of flavour in this chicken and prawn version of the classic by Jarrod Hudson - the chicken is marinated in fresh turmeric and the dressing gets punch from chilli oil (which you can make yourself, or buy) and tamarind water.

Chicken and prawn pad Thai Source: China Squirrel

Prawn and garlic chive pad Thai

Or how about trying Cat Dunne's grandmothers recipe for a dry style prawn and garlic chive pad (pat) Thai, with no egg or tamarind, from Cat Dunne,

Prawn and garlic chive pad Thai Source: The Chefs' Line

Veggie pad thai

A recipe shared on The Cook Up by Tom Walton. Instead of the classic prawns, chicken and egg, this stir fry is supplemented with crispy salt and pepper tofu, carrot and capsicum and tossed with a sticky and sweet tamarind sauce.

Raw summer Pad Thai salad

There's also this raw noodle recipe, shared with us by Jodi Moreno. Inspired by the Thai classic, it features sliced kale, zucchini and cucumber 'noodles', with a peanut butter and tamari sauce (not traditional, but tasty!). Zoodles fans can also try this vegan pad Thai recipe.

Raw summer pad Thai Source: Jodi Moreno

David Thompson's pat Thai

Last but far from least, there's this pat Thai, from Australia's longtime advocate of Thai food, David Thompson, with prawns, egg and deep fried bean curd.

David Thompson's pat Thai Source: SBS Food