Bangalore has seen unrelenting heat in the last week as Pranav and I suffer through humid days and dry nights. I didn't think I'd be blogging again so soon, but after the performance I gave last night (all night) with my coughing, I feel the need to unburden myself by cooking something comforting. I should probably state here that my husband deserves a medal for waking up like his usual loving self this morning, and agreeing to accept my peace-offering of paranthas for breakfast.
Aneela's taste buds water hopefully. "By comforting do you mean fattening?"
"No, tastebuds. I don't mean fattening. I mean something yummy that can be enjoyed warm or cold, and especially light for this summer heat."
"Oh, okay."
The other day as I meandered through my local grocery I came upon a single packet of "rice sticks." I didn't think twice about getting them because it had been a very long time since I made Pad Thai noodles and the craving was instant. Now here's the thing: when I say Pad Thai noodles, I really mean Pad-Thai-inspired-noodles. Being a vegetarian I can't very well add the fish-sauce or all the other things that I'm sure the Thai love about this dish. But let me tell you, my knock-off is pretty damn tasty. Here it is:
Not Pad Thai Noodles (serves 4-5)
- 10 oz. rice noodles
- 1/2 cup of soft tofu cut into chunks or strips
- 4 cloves of garlic mashed and minced
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup french beans slit lengthways and then cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup button mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp chili sauce or 2 minced fresh red chilies
- 1 tsp peanut butter
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar or 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3-4 tbsp sesame oil or peanut oil for stir-frying
- salt to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- lime or lemon wedges for serving
Soak the noodles in hot water for 10-15 minutes. They will be ready to drain when they're soft, but not completely cooked. It might require more or less time depending on the brand of rice noodles you're using. Rinse them in cold water and set them aside for later. In the hot water, add the tamarind paste, soy sauce, chili sauce, peanut butter and sugar. Keep stirring these together until the sugar and peanut butter are totally dissolved. Give it a taste to determine if you need to add a little more of one ingredient or another. This mixture should taste tangy, salty, spicy, and sweet all at the same time. No one taste should overpower the other. Keep it aside.
In a wok, on medium flame, heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil (reserving 1 tbsp for later) and stir-fry the garlic and onion together. After a minute or two, add the crunchier items like the carrots and french beans. Allow these to cook until they become bright in colour and just slightly softened. This might take another 2 minutes after which you should push everything aside, pour in the remaining tbsp of sesame oil and add the tofu chunks/strips. These will need only a minute to cook and then you should add the mushrooms. These will release some juice as they stir-fry and the tofu and mushrooms cook very quickly which is why they should be added last.
Turn the heat down to lowest possible as you gently add the noodles and about half of the sauce you prepared in the beginning. Toss everything together and be mindful that you keep it all moving (so nothing sticks to the wok.) Slowly continue to add the remainder of the sauce while you stir-fry for another 2 minutes and while the noodles soften up. Finally, turn off the gas and give it a little taste. If you need more salt, feel free to add it at this stage. Just before serving, toss in the fresh coriander and sprinkle the roasted peanuts and toasted sesame on top to garnish. Don't forget the citrus wedges (if you like that extra sourness here and there) and enjoy!
Variations for Health and Taste
Ideally, you should garnish this dish with chopped green onions. These are a scarcity in Bangalore, but if you have access to them, they will add much needed authenticity to this recipe. Also, if you're an ovo-lacto vegetarian like me then you'll love the taste of scrambled eggs in this dish. The egg can be added in place of the tofu, or in addition to it. The perfect time to do this would be after the carrots and beans have lightly cooked, and everything is pushed aside for the remaining tbsp of oil. Scramble the eggs in the wok at this stage, just before adding the tofu. I guess you could make this dish in oil much healthier than sesame or peanut, but I guarantee you it wont taste the same. Good luck with that. Finally, the more vegetables the better so feel free to add anything that you think will taste good. If I had baby bok-choy, there's no way I wouldn't include it. Dig in!
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