An authentic Pad Thai recipe for real vegetarian Thai food lovers, or those who want a lighter noodle dish without the meat. This Pad Thai recipe offers lots of protein in the form of eggs (or soft tofu for vegans), and ground nuts. And because it's made with rice noodles, Pad Thai can also be made gluten-free. Although vegetables are not strictly part of traditional Pad Thai, I've added some bok choy which tastes yummy with the noodles and makes this dish even more nutritious. Try it - you'll love it!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. dried Pad Thai rice noodles, OR enough for 2 people (linguini-width)
- 1-2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu - see instructions below*)
- 4 green onions, white parts sliced and kept separate from green
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. grated galangal OR ginger
- 1 fresh red or green chili, sliced
- 3-4 "heads" of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
- 2-3 cups bean sprouts
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, OR substitute cashews
- PAD THAI SAUCE:
- 3/4 to 1.5 Tbsp. tamarind paste, to taste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock (or faux-chicken)
- 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce or wheat-free soy sauce
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1/3 to 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, or more to taste
- 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
- OTHER:
- 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
- 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
- lime wedges for serving
Preparation:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and switch off heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 4-6 minutes, or until limp but still too firm to eat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles must be under-cooked at this stage in order to come out right (they will finish cooking later when they are stir-fried).
- Combine 'pad Thai sauce' ingredients in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the paste and sugar (note that if your tamarind paste is thick, only add 1 Tbsp. If thin/runny, add 1.5 Tbsp). Note that this sauce should have a very STRONG-tasting flavor that tastes sour-sweet first, followed by salty and spicy. Set aside.
- Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the white parts of the green onion (reserve the rest for serving), garlic, galangal/ginger, and chili. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
- Add the bok choy plus stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
- Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the egg (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble.
- If pan is dry, push ingredients aside and add a little more oil to the middle. Add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together 1-2 minutes using 2 utensils and a gently tossing motion (like tossing a salad). Keep heat between medium-high and high, reducing if noodles begin to stick or burn. Keep adding sauce and continue stir-frying in this way 3-6 more minutes, or until sauce is gone and noodles are soft but still chewy ('al dente') and a little sticky.
- Switch off heat and add the bean sprouts, folding them into the hot noodles. Taste-test, adding more soy sauce for more salt/flavor. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a good squeeze of lime juice. If too sour, sprinkle over a little more sugar.
- To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved green onion, coriander, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and enjoy!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).
*If using soft tofu instead of egg: Add it when you add the last of the pad Thai sauce. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as egg would.
