Pad Thai (Vegan)

The Pad Thai you get in Bangkok, or even in most Thai restuarants around the world is almost always not vegan or vegetarian — it may contain fish sauce, egg, and shrimps. This is a vegan recipe that tastes awesome. Some ingredients may not be available locally — in that case, you will have to substitute and play around to see what works.

Ingredients:

375 grams (13 oz) Rice Stick noodles (5 mm)
2 tbsp tamarind paste (or sufficient fresh tamarind squeezed in fresh water)
4 tbsp demerara sugar
2 tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce (use Soya sauce as substitute)
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp peanuts
2 onions, chopped fine
1 green capsicum (pepper), chopped fine
10 heads of Pak Choy, chopped fine
1 inch piece of galangal, grated
2 green chillis, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 kafir lime leaves
100 gms tofu
2 cups moong bean sprouts
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Fresh cilanto / corriander leaves, chopped

Method:

1. Boil enough water to soak your Rice Stick noodles. Switch off the heat and soak noodles for 5 to 10 minutes so that your noodles are soft, yet crunchy enough — not entirely cooked. Drain into a collander and wash with cold water — keep aside.
2. Mix tamarind paste, demerara sugar, red chilli powder, Golden Mountain Sauce, and a quarter cup water until sugar is dissolved. Keep aside.
3. Roast peanuts, cool them, and grind them very coarsely. Keep aside.
4. Cut tofu into 1 cm cubes, and fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
5. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan and wait until it is hot. Add onion, garlic, galangal, green chilli, kafir lime leaves, and cook for 2-3 minutes — or until the onion is a little translucent, yet crunchy. Keep tossing.
6. Add 2 tbsp oil, and add Pak Choy and cook for a minute. Keep tossing.
7. Add 1 tbsp oil, and add capsicum and moong bean sprouts, tomato ketchup, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Keep tossing all the while.
8. Add the Pad Thai paste, and cook until it boils. Let cook for a minute or two, and add the ground peanuts and tofu pieces. Add salt to taste as required — it’s best you add little salt since the Golden Mountain Sauce has its own salt content. Don’t worry about this being salty enough for the Rice Stick noodles you have not added yet because we still need to add Soya Sauce — and that will add more salt. So err on the side of slightly less salt for now.
9. Add the Rice Stick noddles, and toss well. Add soya sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste if the salt is sufficient — add more if required. If the chilli content is less, sprinkle some red chilli powder and toss well.
10. Sprinkle fresh chopped corriander, toss well and cook for another minute, and serve.

Filed Under: Thai_Food
Tagged as: food, thai, vegan, vegetarian

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