I will be perfectly honest, I was not exactly looking for authenticity here. I had a ton of vegetables in the fridge, bits and bobs left over from other recipes, that I wanted to use up and I have a jar of tamarind paste in my condiment collection for which I am always seeking new uses. I read about 10 Pad Thai recipes online - all different - and then basically mixed and matched to come up with a recipe that suited my needs.
This is a good vegetarian option - vegan in fact - but I do have to say that I missed the shrimp that often comes with restaurant Pad Thai and didn't feel that the tofu added much. That being said, the noodles and veggies and the tangy sauce were a definite win!
1 lb thick rice noodles
4 cups assorted chopped veggies (I used cauliflower, sugar snap peas, yellow zucchini, edamame and purple cabbage, red pepper would have been nice, as would bean sprouts)
1/3 cup scallion greens, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 shallot, peeled, halved and cut into thin half moons
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup crushed peanuts
2 limes
2 Tbsps cup fish sauce
2 Tbsps tamarind paste
2 Tbsps honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsps Sriracha
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
Boil a kettle of water. Add the rice noodles to a large bowl, separating the block of noodles into individual ones if you can. Add the boiling water to the bowl to cover the noodles completely. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the noodles to soften. Taste them at the 10 minute mark and drain if al dente, if not leave submerged for the additional 5 minutes. Drain, cool in an ice bath or under running cold water, and return to the bowl. Add the sesame oil to the noodles and toss to combine.
While the noodles are softening, make your sauce by whisking together the fish sauce, tamarind paste, honey, soy and hot sauce. Taste and adjust to your palate. Add the tofu squares to the sauce and toss gently so that the tofu is coated on all sides. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet and add your shallot, spring onion and vegetables pieces. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the size of your vegetables), stirring often so that they don't catch.
As soon as the vegetables are just tender (they will cook for a few additional minutes on low so plan accordingly), tip the tofu and the sauce into the pan and reduce the heat to low. Stir to combine.
Add the noodles and cook for a few minutes just to heat the noodles through, tossing to combine the veggies with the noodles.
As soon as the noodles are warmed through, transfer the noodles to a large serving dish. Squirt over the juice of 1 lime and toss to combine. Top with the cilantro, the peanuts and the remaining lime cut into eighths.
(*if you substitute lime juice for the fish sauce)
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