Pad Thai by Krsnamayi

First of all I would like to stress that this is a very authentic Pad Thai recipe that I developed after a lot of trial and error (and eating Pad Thai at numerous veggie restaurants in Bangkok). If you do not have the proper Thai ingredients....it will NOT turn out the same....so head yourself down to an Asian grocer!

Pad Thai:

7 oz (1/2) pack Pad Thai rice noodles cooked in water until Al Denté (these are a little thicker than regular rice noodles)

1-2 blocks extra firm tofu cut into match stick pieces

250 g bean sprouts

2 cups misc. veg (beans, bok choi etc)

2 green peppers cut into thin long slices. (if they are massive, then perhaps one would do, if they are smaller Indian ones then you would need at least 3)

3-4 Tablespoons minced cabbage fried in a littl ghee/oil plus a pinch of hing (to mimic onion)

1 teaspoon Hing

3 Tablespoons salted Thai radish (this is a type of preserved white radish...and is different then the Chinese or Japanese pickled ones.)

1 teaspoon Chilli powder

4 Tablespoons palm sugar (if you don't have this, then turbinado or brown will do)

4-5 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons tamarind water (sour tamarind)

1/4 cup water (as needed- I rarely use it)

1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts

oil for frying

lemon wedges for serving.

place 2-3 Tablespoons of oil in the wok and pan fry the tofu. Set aside. Add a little more oil if wok is dry, add the HIng and chilli powder. Stir fry all the vegetables (except the bean sprouts) lightly (so they are still crisp). Add the Radish, palm sugar, tamarind water  and then the noodles, tofu, fried cabbage and bean sprouts. toss so every thing is coated nicely. If this seems too dry add the 1/4 water (as needed). serve with Lemon to squeeze on top (it doesn't taste right without it) and ground peanuts on the top.

Regular street Pad thai always contains eggs or meat, and they use fish sauce rather than soy sauce....but this is the veggie "Jae" version

Serve with Thai Som Tam (green papaya salad)....