Most people who have been introduced to Thai cuisine late in their life and have subsequently fallen in love with it, have started their romance with Thai with the ubiquitous Pad Thai and of course the Thai red curry and green curry dishes.
Unfortunately in India, many chefs have an unhealthy affinity towards tomato ketchup which they often use as a substitute for palm sugar and tamarind pulp, both of which are abundantly available. Authentic ingredients are thus one of the main factors that separate the men from the boys.
Tofu Pad Thai
The combination of these stir fried noodles with tofu is comparatively new in India, but if you are looking for a vegetarian option that is healthy, you can’t do better than tofu
Ingredients
For the sauce:
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup of palm sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup fish sauce, optional
2 red chillies, thinly sliced
½ cup tamarind water made from soaking tamarind pulp in warm water.
Ingredients
For the stir fry:
1 packet rice noodles
1 egg
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
¼ cup coriander leaves
1½ cups of tofu, thinly sliced
¼ cup of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
A wedge of lime
Method
Make the sauce first. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the fish sauce, palm sugar and white sugar, tamarind juice, red chillies and garlic. Stir till the sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat. The sauce can be prepared days in advance or made in large quantities and refrigerated to be used later in batches.
Break the clump of noodles in four pieces. Boil the noodles in salted water for around 6 minutes, drain and immediately put under cold running water to stop the noodles from cooking further. They will be slightly firm, and in fact might feel uncooked, but that’s okay.
Heat three tbsp of oil in a wok on high heat and fry the tofu for 3-4 minutes. Remove into a bowl. Heat the remaining oil and add the chopped garlic. Fry for around 15 seconds and add the noodles while stirring continuously. Keep adding around 3three tbsp of the prepared Pad Thai sauce while stirring. Add the tofu and stir fry for another couple of minutes, while not forgetting to add the sauce. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry for a minute more. Taste the noodles and if needed, add another tablespoon of sauce. Serve immediately with some roasted carrots and the lemon wedge as garnish and pickled cabbage or khimchi.