PAD THAI

Vegetarian pad thai

VEGETARIAN PAD THAI

#SIAintheKitchen

If there’s one thing I make that’s possibly just as good as the restaurants, it would be pad thai. I kid you not and I’m not trying to boast, but my pad thai is pretty exceptional. And honestly, it boils down to a couple things: tamarind and the noodles.

I always refer back to my original pad thai recipe at my old blog, Umami & Me, back in 2013. That was the first time I had ever tried to make pad thai from scratch and my god, I knew I’d never order it in the restaurant again. Mind you, a lot of restaurants in Vancouver (at least the shitty ones) use ketchup in their recipes which, you should know, is no suitable substitute for tamarind. Whether or not you use tamarind paste or tamarind pulp where you must mix it with hot water, just make sure you do not use ketchup!!! Or those pre-made sauces. It‘s seriously so easy to make from scratch, I promise.

I think what turns people off is the amount of ingredients and also the obscure ingredients you may be stuck with afterwards. I do think it’s worth it, atleast for a food geek like me, because it forces me to cook with not-so-common ingredients in perhaps, non-traditional ways (hello fish sauce!). Okay, maybe it’s just me.

Back to the recipe - this version is vegetarian but feel free to refer back to my original recipe at Umami & Me for the full version with prawns. Also, please note that my version does not contain any peanuts. Why? Because I’m allergic - sorry! Still a keeper though.

PAD THAI - serves 4

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup tamarind paste

  • 1/2 cup fish sauce

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 2 tsps dried red chili flakes

  • 2 tbsp sambal (chili garlic sauce)

Noodles

  • 1/2 (500g) pkg banh pho rice vermicelli noodles

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 free-range eggs

  • 1 (375g) pkg deep fried tofu, cubed

  • 3 stalks scallions, sliced

  • 6 cups bean sprouts, rinsed

  • fresh cilantro

  • lime wedges

  • fresh bean sprouts

  1. In a large bowl, submerge the rice noodles in cold water. Ensure that the noodles are covered completely in the water and let sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

  2. Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until well-emulsified. Set aside.

  3. Heat the vegetable oil in your wok over medium-high heat. Swirl so that the wok is evenly coated with oil. Saute the onions in until some colour appears, about 3 minutes. Push the onions to the side and crack the eggs directly into the the walk and scramble immediately in the wok. Once cooked, push the eggs aside and pour half of the sauce into the wok.

  4. Drain your noodles and add the noodles to the walk. Ensure that the noodles are opaque (white) before adding to the wok. Began to toss and coat the noodles with the sauce. The noodles will begin to become pliable as it cooks in the sauce. Continue to toss in the sauce, stirring from under to over to ensure all noodles are cooked.

  5. Once the noodles begin to soften, add in the bean sprouts and tofu. Toss and continue cooking until the noodles are completely cooked. Remove from heat and divide the noodles into four bowls and garnish with additional cilantro, bean sprouts and lime wedges.

ASIAN, THAI, PLANT-BASEDStephanie Siapad thai, vegetarian pad thai, authentic pad thai, tamarindComment