Pad Thai

The recipe is mostly the Brooklyn Pad Thai from Vegan with a Vengence, though the vegetables I use are different than the ones called for, and I make a minor substitution in the sauce.  It comes out quite similar to a Pad Thai I used to get from a restaurant on the Cape, except when you make it yourself, you know there’s no fish sauce.

Pad Thai

Sauce:

3 Tbs Soy Sauce

2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tbs Brown Sugar

2 Tbs Tamarind Concentrate

1 Tbs Sriracha

1 Tbs Ketchup (seriously- unless you have tomato paste in a tube)

Pad Thai:

2 Tbs Peanut Oil

1/2 pound tofu, pressed, drained and cubed

1/2 onion, sliced into half moons

1 clove garlic, minced

4 scallions, sliced

1 carrot, sliced thin

1 cup frozen green beans (or fresh, but you’ll want to cook those partially first)

1 small dried red chile, crumbled (I leave out about 1/2 the seeds), optional

1 cup thinly slice Napa cabbage

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped and toasted

1/2 pound rice noodles

1.  Prepare noodles according to package directions.  I find I need to soak them much longer than the package says, but maybe that’s just me.

2.  Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

3.  Heat peanut oil.  Slide in the tofu, and fry until golden.  Remove tofu to paper towels to drain.

4.  If needed, add a bit more peanut oil to the pan.  Add onions, garlic, carrots and scallions; saute 30 seconds or so.  Add sauce and green beans.

5.  When sauce bubbles, add noodles and mix well.  This is really the hardest part, trying to make sure the veggies get dispersed in the noodles!

6.  Add tofu, cabbage and chile, mix again.

7.  Remove from heat.  Plate the Pad Thai, and sprinkle peanuts on top.  Can add cilantro and or lime wedges for garnish if desired, but neither are required!