originally, we were going to be making drunken noodles tonight, but when i opened the fridge i noticed a bouquet of scraggly, muddy green stems where the basil used to be. yep, the basil was definitely a no-go. instead, i threw together a sauce consisting of palm sugar, garlic chili sauce, vegan oyster sauce, tamari, vinegar, tamarind, and garlic. it was pretty good, and reminded me of pad thai. i wouldn’t call it authentic by any means, but it definitely cured my craving for spicy noodles.
spicy tofu pad thai
spicy tofu “pad thai”
14oz dried rice noodles
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb tofu, cubed
1 red bell, diced
1 small red onion, sliced into half moons
peanut oil
2 tbs tamari
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tbs chili garlic sauce- like sambal oelek
2 tbs palm sugar, or regular sugar
2 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce, or mushroom sauce
bring a pot of water to a boil, once boiling add the broccoli and the noodles. cover, remove from the heat, and let hang for 5 minutes before draining and flushing with cold water; set aside. brown the tofu in a few tablespoons of peanut oil and set aside. now add the onion and pepper, and cook until softened. add the tamari, and the rest of the ingredients through to the oyster sauce, and simmer until the sugars have dissolved. add the reserved broccoli, noodles, and tofu, and stir fry until the noodles are soft. you may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the noodles start to stick. garnish with lime wedges and crushed peanuts if you have them, and serve immediately.
