Vegetable Pad Thai

Thai food is so delectable and has many complex flavors. The combination of flavor profiles and the use of fresh herbs and ingredients are what make it irresistible. This Pad Thai recipe is my version of a vegetarian Thai dish. The home-made Pad Thai sauce is easy and quick. Use any mix of vegetables that you have on hand. I have used tofu and egg as protein but feel free to use anything you want. I have not tried lentils with this recipe but I can imagine lentils going quite well with the veggies and noodles. The fresh basil and mint leaves add a beautiful fragrance and taste to the dish. I can never have enough peanuts and I used some for garnish.

Traditionally, tamarind paste is used in the sauce but I used lime juice because my husband and I like the flavor of lime more than tamarind. Tamarind paste will work really well and so will rice wine vinegar. Use any souring agent available in your pantry. It is very important to balance the salty with the spicy, and the sour with the sweet flavors in the sauce.

Serves: 2, Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 16 oz. or 450 g soft tofu

• 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp corn starch

• 1/2 large red onion, sliced

• 1 medium carrot, sliced

• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms

• 4 - 5 broccoli florets, roughly chopped

• One 8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts

• Handful of spinach leaves or bok choy

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp salt

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

• 1 tsp Sambal Oelek/ Sriracha/ chili sauce

• 1.5 tsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice/ tamarind paste/ rice wine vinegar

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup water

Noodles: 1.5 - 2 cups cooked brown rice noodles or any flat rice noodles (cook according to instructions on the package)

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

• crushed peanuts, lime wedges and whole basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Cooking the tofu:

• Drain the liquid from the tofu package and rinse the block of tofu under running water. Gently squeeze to get rid of excess water.

• Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces. Soft tofu is very delicate and crumbles easily, so handle gently. Medium or hard tofu will also work.

• Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a non-stick skillet. In the meanwhile, add salt, pepper and corn starch to the tofu and toss to coat the tofu with the cornstarch.

• Once oil is hot, reduce to medium-low heat and place tofu pieces in the pan, in a single layer.

• Allow pieces to brown on one side before flipping to cook the other. This step ensures a lightly crisp exterior on the tofu and gets rid of some of the raw tofu taste. Cook to achieve desired crispness.

• Once cooked, remove from the pan into a clean bowl and set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables and egg:

• Add 1/2 tbsp oil in the same pan that was used for the tofu. Once hot, add the onions, carrots and bell pepper. Stir fry until onions turn translucent.

• Add the remaining vegetables and salt and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

• In a separate skillet, scramble 2 eggs. Once cooked, add eggs to the vegetables.

3. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce in a bowl.

4. Add the cooked noodles and the prepared sauce to the vegetables and toss to mix everything together.

5. Turn heat off and add the chopped basil and mint leaves to the pan. Stir them through.

6. Serve the vegetable and noodles in a wide bowl. Add pieces of cooked tofu on the side (Because of the soft texture of the tofu, I didn't mix it through with the vegetables and noodles in the pan. If using medium or hard tofu, it can be added into the pan with the vegetables and noodles before adding the sauce. Then stir the sauce through so that everything is covered in the delicious Pad Thai sauce). Top with crushed peanuts, basil leaves and place a lime wedge on the side.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave your comments and suggestions.