Pad thai may seem like a dish better left to the experts, but we beg to differ: with a little bit of prep work and a dash of know-how, it can be - and should be - made at home. Still anxious about trying your hand at this Thai street-food favorite? We enlisted the help of chef Jet Tila to walk us through the process.

Pad Thai From Jet Tila

The pad thai sauce can be made ahead of time (and can be doubled, or even tripled) to make prep faster.

3-4 cups BKM Chantaboon rice stick noodles

For pad thai sauce:
4 tablespoons Tiparos fish sauce
4 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
4 tablespoons sugar

For the pad thai:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons salted turnip, minced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp
1/2 cup baked tofu, diced
1/2 cup chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 eggs
8 fresh shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 tablespoon paprika
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

1. Soak the noodles in warm water, and cover for 1 hour.


2. For the pad thai sauce: In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, Sriracha, and sugar.


3. For the pad thai: Put wok or large sauté pan over high heat, and add oil, making sure to coat the pan completely. When the pan starts to smoke, add garlic and stir for 5 seconds. Then add the turnip, dried shrimp, and tofu, stir-frying until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.


4. Add chicken and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes.


5. Push ingredients in the wok to the side of the pan, and allow remaining oil to settle in the center of the pan. Crack eggs into the pan, making sure to break the yolks, and then lightly scramble until they're half cooked, about 30 seconds. Combine with remaining cooked ingredients in the pan, and add fresh shrimp. Cook for about 1 more minute or until the shrimp is about halfway cooked.


6. Add 3 cups drained noodles, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft. Add sauce mixture and paprika, and fold together until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.


7. Place most of the green onions and about half of the bean sprouts in the center of the noodles, and spoon some noodles to cover, allowing the vegetables to steam for about 30 seconds.


8. Stir in 3 tablespoons peanuts, and then garnish with remaining green onions, bean sprouts, and peanuts.