Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Tofu Phad Thai



A few years back, when I worked in Seattle's International District, I found that Uwajimaya had a section of cookbooks that were marked down heavily. Every month or so, I would go pick up a few new cookbooks for next to nothing. Like so many foodies, cookbooks are like porn to me. Big color pictures of perfectly plated food is so beautiful. But beyond all the good pictures, I ended up with a great collection of recipes for cuisines from all over the world.

One of my favorite dishes is Phad Thai, which we make every month or so, usually with shrimp. This time, we decided to do some tofu instead, and by happy accident ended up with slightly wider noodles, which I enjoyed.

Phad Thai
8 oz dried rice noodles
3 Tbspn oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/4 lb. fried tofu
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbspn paprika
1 green onion, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1/4 cup ground roasted peanuts
1 cup beansprouts
Shredded carrot
Shredded red cabbage
lime wedges

Soak rice noodles in cold water for 2-3 hours, or until soft. Heat frying pan until hot. Add egg and garlic. Scramble until done. Reduce temperature to medium. Drain noodles and add to mixture in pan. Stir fry until transluscent, adding a small amount of water if required. When noodles are soft, add fish sauce, sugar, and paprika. Thoroughly combine and reduce sauce. Stir in tofu, peanuts, bean sprouts, and green onion. Serve with carrot, cabbage and lime wedges.



(Recipe adapted from Quick & Easy Thai Cuisine, Lemon Grass Cookbook.)

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