Pad Thai Sauce

also called nam pad thai · pad thai tamarind sauce · tamarind palm sugar sauce · phat thai sauce · sauce for pad thai

The table

6 oz(170 g; shaved off the disc)palm sugarmelt to a dark caramelsimmer 5 minstir in off the heat, cool 20 min
2 Tbswater
3 oz(85 g; half a block)seedless tamarind pulpsoak 20 min, press through a sieve
1 cup(240 mL)hot water
1/2 cup(120 mL)fish sauce
1/2 tspkosher salt
1 Tbsrice vinegar
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.9 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1melt to a dark caramel

2soak 20 min, press through a sieve

3simmer 5 min

goes in with what steps 1 and 2 made

4stir in off the heat, cool 20 min

goes in with what step 3 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 45 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
none givenof the steps that give a time

One of the 4 steps never says how long it takes, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 45 min.

  1. soak 20 min, press through a sieve

    20 minwalk awayfrom the start

  2. melt to a dark caramel

    not timedfrom the start

  3. simmer 5 min

    5 minwalk away20 min in

  4. stir in off the heat, cool 20 min

    20 minwalk away25 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.

You'll need saucepan · sieve

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Pad Thai Sauce
>> category: Sauces & Gravies
>> tags: tamarind, thai, sauce, noodles, make-ahead
>> counters: Thai Kitchen
>> aka: nam pad thai, pad thai tamarind sauce, tamarind palm sugar sauce, phat thai sauce, sauce for pad thai
>> servings: 8
>> time: 45 min
>> step.1: soak 20 min, press through a sieve
>> step.2: melt to a dark caramel
>> step.3: simmer 5 min
>> step.4: stir in off the heat, cool 20 min

Soak @seedless tamarind pulp{3%oz}(85 g; half a block) in @hot water{1%cup}(240 mL) for ~soak{20%min}, mashing it with your fingers, then press it through a #sieve{} and throw away the fibres.

Melt @palm sugar{6%oz}(170 g; shaved off the disc) with @water{2%Tbs} in a #saucepan{} over low heat until it darkens to the colour of maple syrup.

Simmer @&(~1)palm sugar caramel{} with @&(~2)tamarind water{}, @fish sauce{1/2%cup}(120 mL) and @kosher salt{1/2%tsp} for ~simmer{5%min}, until it coats a spoon thinly. This is the ratio nobody looks up and everybody guesses: roughly equal parts tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce by volume.

Stir @rice vinegar{1%Tbs} into @&(~1)sauce{} off the heat and ~cool{20%min}. It keeps a month in the fridge and thickens as it sits; a third of a cup dresses two plates of noodles.