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Vegetarian Pad Thai
- Serves 3
​Fully authentic, no compromise in ingredients or flavor - follow our vegetarian Pad Thai recipe and it is guaranteed to transport you to the streets of Thailand. There are a few elements one needs to keep in mind when making good Pad Thai, 
  1. Fish sauce: Use vegan fish sauce or Golden Mountain sauce for umami goodness.
  2. Preserved radish: It is hard to find but can easily be replaced with pickled daikon (the one used in sushi-making).
  3. Tamarind paste: I much prefer making my own by rehydrating dried tamarind rather than buying bottled paste which just doesn’t have as much flavor.
The rest of the ingredients are quite easy to find; just remember to have everything prepped before getting started as the recipe itself comes together in minutes. ​Check out our quick recipe video on Instagram.
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Happy cooking!

Ingredients for Vegetarian Pad Thai

​1/3 package Thai flat rice noodles (140gms)
1/3 cup extra firm tofu (add 1 cup tofu for vegetarian Pad Thai)
1 cup Chinese chives or spring onions, cut into 1” matchsticks
1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed
2-3 small shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
40g tamarind paste (available in Indian/Thai grocery stores) 
1/2 cup hot water
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar or palm sugar
2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce or Golden Mountain sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground dried chili or 2 fresh bird’s eye chilies, chopped
4 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped preserved radish or daikon
2 cups vegetables of your choice (torn cabbage, julienned carrots, julienned green or red pepper)
2-3 eggs
ground white pepper, for sprinkling
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped peanuts
1/2 lime

Recipe
​Prepping
  1. Start with soaking dry noodles at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients. Getting the noodles just right is the trickiest part of making Pad Thai. Make sure that the noodles are submerged in plenty of water for about 40 minutes or slightly warm water for about 10 minutes. By the time you are ready to put ingredients in the pan, the noodles should be flexible but not mushy. 
  2. Julienne tofu and cut into 1" long matchsticks. Cut spring onion or chives into 1" long pieces. Set aside a few fresh greens for garnish. Rinse bean sprouts and save some for garnish. Mince shallots and garlic together. Prep and chop vegetables of your choice.
  3. Soak tamarind in hot water for 30 minutes, set aside. In a large bowl, massage soaked tamarind using your fingers. Discard the fiber and any seeds. Mix together tamarind pulp, sugar, vegan fish sauce (or Golden Mountain sauce) and chili to make pad Thai sauce. Bring to the boil, let the sugar dissolve, then set aside.
Cooking vegetables
  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large wok on high heat. Add radish, shallots, garlic and tofu - stir-fry until tofu is lightly golden all over. Add chopped vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes until al-dente. Push the ingredients to one side of the wok.
  2. Add another tablespoon oil. Crack the eggs into the oil and scramble them until they are almost cooked. 
  3. The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. I like to cut noodles to make mixing easier. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep them from sticking. Add Pad Thai sauce - stir. The heat should remain on medium high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat to reduce the liquid.
  4. The noodles should be soft and chewy. Pull a strand out and taste. If the noodles are still hard (not cooked), add a little bit of water. Sprinkle white pepper all over. Add bean sprouts and chives - stir well. The noodles should be slightly moist when serving.
  5. Pour onto a serving plate and sprinkle ground pepper and crushed roasted peanuts. Serve hot with a wedge of lime on the side, some spring onion greens and raw bean sprouts on top.
Notes: As always, in Thailand, condiments such as sugar, chili flakes, vinegar and fish sauce are available at your table for your personal taste.
For more delicious recipes, check out our upcoming hands-on cooking classes in Downtown Singapore.​
​Click here for more details.