Tofu Drunken Noodles (Vegan Pad Kee Mao)

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5 from 1 vote

Tofu Drunken Noodles (Vegan Pad Kee Mao)

Spicy rice noodles with crispy tofu, Thai Basil and veggies in a delicious sweet and salty sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Helen

Ingredients

Sauce:

3 tbsp light soy sauce
0.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp oyster sauce or vegan mushroom oyster sauce

Drunken noodles:

10 oz firm tofu
7 oz wide rice noodles
2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
½ onion finely chopped
2 birds eye chillies finely chopped
2 tsp ginger finely chopped
1 red or green pepper cut into thin strips
½ courgette/zucchini halved vertically and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 scallions (spring onions) finely chopped
½ cup Thai basil leaves
½ lime juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make sure all ingredients are prepped before you start cooking. (note 1)
Prepare the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients in a medium-large bowl.
Prepare the tofu: Use kitchen paper to remove as much excess moisture as possible from the tofu and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Placed the pieces of tofu into the sauce mixture for a few minutes while you prepare the noodles.
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. This normally involves soaking them in a pan or bowl of hot water for a few minutes until they start to soften but are still quite firm.
Remove the tofu pieces from the sauce mixture, place them in a bowl and remove any excess sauce with kitchen paper.
Fry the tofu: Place your wok or frying pan on a high heat, pour in half of the oil and add the tofu pieces when the oil is hot and fry for a few minutes until crisp. Turn halfway to ensure both sides are cooked.
Place the wok or frying pan on a high heat and add half of the oil. Add the onions, chilli and ginger when the oil is hot and fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the red/green pepper and courgette/zucchini and continue to cook on a high heat until tender.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and spring onions (or scallions) and cook for one minute.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the noodles to the pan. If you find they are stuck together rinse them with a little cold water first.
Toss the noodles in the pan for 1-2 minutes until they are hot.
Reduce the heat to low and pour on the sauce. (note 2)
Stir in the Thai basil leaves and lime juice, and return the cooked tofu to the pan.
Serve as soon as the Thai basil leaves have wilted.

Notes

It will all happen very quickly once you start cooking and there will not be time to cut vegetables and prep ingredients during the process.
It is important to reduce the heat of the pan to its lowest or to take it off the heat altogether to ensure that the sauce does not evaporate. The pan should be very hot from cooking the vegetables and the basil should wilt easily.

Nutrition