In Thailand, pad thai is hugely popular, but it's not a dish that's cooked at home. Instead, it is commonly purchased from street vendors, who cook it to order in individual portions. For home cooks on this side of the Pacific, cookbook author [Nancie McDermott](http://www.nanciemcdermott.com/) figured out a way to successfully make a big portion of pad thai, enough to serve four people at once, but it _does_ require a wok (they are inexpensive and last forever; look for a [14-inch flat-bottom carbon-steel wok](http://shop.epicurious.com/detail/160404/carbon-steel-flat-bottom-wok-14-in-by-joyce-chen/)). If you don't have one, consider making her [Pad Thai for Two](/recipes/food/views/51206850) , which works in a 12-inch heavy, deep skillet. For more on Pad Thai, including ingredient information and McDermott's tips, see [Takeout at Home: Pad Thai](http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/howtocook/dishes/takeout-recipes-pad-thai)
Category: not set
Cuisine: not set
1/3 cup water
4 teaspoons prepared tamarind paste preferably unsweetened, such as Neera's or Rani brands*
1/3 cup palm sugar or packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup Asian fish sauce (also called nam pla or nuoc mam
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh mung bean sprouts
2 limes each cut into 6 wedges
1/4 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Asian fish sauce (also called nam pla or nuoc mam
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup crushed red pepper
Boiling water for soaking noodles
12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (slender linguine-width;
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots or onion
12 ounces peeled and deveined small or medium shrimp patted dry
3 large eggs beaten well
4 1/2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh mung bean sprouts
2 bunches scallions, greens only, cut into 1-inch pieces (a
1/2 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
*Tamarind paste tends to be a South Asian product just use less sugar in your seasoning sauce.
Equipment: Large wok (preferably a 14-inch flat-b
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