How To: Easy Pad Thai

Pad Thai has been a favourite food of mine for years but I usually find it much too greasy when I order it in a restaurant. So I decided to figure out how to make it at home, with no oil!

(Fun fact, the first time I attempted this we had a friend staying with us who had just returned from travelling in Asia for more than a year. No pressure!)

I actually combined two different sites to make this dish. It was super easy and delicious. (Even my friend gave it his approval by asking for seconds!)

For the sauce, I used this super easy recipe from PETA's website:

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

Juice of 2 limes

3 Tbsp. sugar

Sriracha, to taste

Whisk together.

See? Easy.

For the dish itself I turned to my Vegan Gurus at hotforfood:

200 G brown rice fettucine noodles (or flat rice noodles)

350 G medium firm tofu

2 tbsp coconut oil (for frying)

½ cup thinly sliced onion

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup finely chopped celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups broccoli florets

3 cups bean sprouts

2 tbsp finely chopped green onion

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

2 tbsp finely chopped roasted cashews (or peanuts)

Drain the water from the tofu and let it sit in paper towel for 10-15 minutes to get rid of excess moisture. Then cut into cubes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Once the water is at a rolling boil, toss in the noodles and stir occasionally while they cook for approx. 10 minutes. Cook to al dente, drain, and set aside in a colander.

Meanwhile heat a large pan to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil and cubes of tofu. After 4-5 minutes flip the cubes to another side to crisp. Flip the cubes every 2 minutes to get the rest of the sides golden brown.

When the tofu cubes are golden brown all around add ¼ cup of the sauce to the pan and coat the pieces evenly cooking over the heat for another minute. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside. You’ll toss tofu into the vegetables and noodles near end of cooking time.

In the same pan over medium heat add another 1 tbsp of oil and the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently. Then add in minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Then add in broccoli and sprouts (you might want to leave a small amount of raw sprouts aside as a garnish on top of the finished pad thai), and cook for another 4-5 minutes stirring frequently. Then add in half the amount of sauce remaining, toss to coat all the veggies and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add in the cooked noodles and remaining sauce, turn the heat down to low, toss to coat everything in sauce, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. At this stage you can adjust the spice level if you desire by adding another 1-2 tsp of sriracha. Serve immediately and top with green onion, cilantro, raw sprouts, and chopped cashews (or peanuts)

Let me know if you make this recipe. I absolutely love it. In fact, just typing about it is making me hungry!