Bean Sprouts in Thai Cooking

Bean sprouts are sprouted mung beans. They bring crunch and freshness to rich noodle dishes, and in Thailand they are served both cooked and raw on the side.

Pronunciation	tua ngok
Flavour	Mild, fresh and crisp
Used in	Pad Thai, noodle soups, stir-fries, khanom jeen
Substitute	Shredded cabbage or thinly sliced celery for crunch

How it is used

Tossed into pad Thai for the last 20 seconds so they stay crisp, with more served raw on the side. Blanched in noodle soups, stir-fried with tofu, and piled on top of khanom jeen nam ngiao and other noodle dishes.

Buying and storing

Choose sprouts that are white, plump and crisp, with no brown tips, slime or sour smell. Use them within a day or two. Rinse them in cold water and drain well before using.

Food safety

Raw sprouts carry a small risk of bacteria. For young children, pregnant women or anyone with a weak immune system, blanch them for 30 seconds before eating.

Cook’s tip
Pinch off the stringy tails for a neater dish. It is fiddly, but Bangkok restaurants do it for their best pad Thai.

Recipes with Bean Sprouts

Noodles & Rice

Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (Northern Noodles in Pork & Tomato Broth)

Soft rice noodles in a spicy, tangy broth of pork ribs, tomatoes and dried chilli paste, topped with bean sprouts, cabbage, crispy garlic and lime.

120 min · Medium

Noodles & Rice

Pad Thai with Prawns

The street-stall classic done properly: tamarind-sour, palm-sugar sweet, fish-sauce salty, with chewy rice noodles and a bit of char from a very hot wok.

40 min · Medium