Vegetarian mains
Spring vegetable Pad Thai
This version of Pad Thai, a classic Asian noodle dish, is all about the preparation. Have everything chopped and ready to throw into the wok or frying pan at the last minute, group your prepared ingredients so you have the items to be added together next to each other. Pad Thai is supposed to be quite hot so leave the seeds in the chillies, use just one chilli if you prefer a milder flavour. Use any leftover kohl rabi grated raw in salads or in stir-fries or curries.
Ingredients
- 1 pack rice noodles
- oil for frying to a high temperature e.g. sunflower
- 30g fresh coriander
- 1 bunch asparagus
- ½ kohlrabi
- 1 red pepper
- spring greens - use good handful of shredded leaves
- 3 spring onions
- 2 red chillies
- 2 garlic cloves
- piece fresh ginger
- 25g roasted salted peanuts
- 200g marinated tofu
- 1 egg
- 1 pack tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 lemon
- salt
Method
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Step 1
Boil a kettle of water. Fill a pan with the boiled water and put it on the hob. Add the pack of noodles. Cook on a low simmer for 10 minutes, until tender, stirring for the first 1 minute to prevent them from clumping.
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Step 2
Once ready, rinse under cold water to stop them from sticking. Wash and shake the fresh coriander dry. Wash the asparagus. Snap off and discard the tough base of the stalks. Chop the rest into 3-4cm lengths. Peel and halve the kohlrabi.
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Step 3
Using just one half of it, slice it in into thin half moons, then into matchsticks. Wash, deseed and chop the pepper into thin strips. Wash and shake the fresh coriander dry. Wash the asparagus. Snap off and discard the tough base of the stalks.
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Step 4
Chop the rest into 3-4cm lengths. Peel and halve the kohlrabi. Using just one half of it, slice it in into thin half moons, then into matchsticks. Wash, deseed and chop the pepper into thin strips. Wash and finely slice the chillies, using 1 or 2, and keeping the seeds in too (see cook's note).
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Step 5
Peel and finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Chop the peanuts. Cut the tofu into 2cm squares. Roughly chop the coriander leaves. Crack the egg into a bowl and lightly beat the white and yolk together.
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Step 6
Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan, to a medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli(es). Fry for 1 minute, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Turn up the heat.
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Step 7
Add the asparagus, shredded greens, kohlrabi, pepper and tofu. Fry for 1 minute. Add the noodles, one third of the pack of tamarind and half the tamari. Add about 4 tablespoons of water and stir for 1 minute. Turn down the heat.
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Step 8
Push the ingredients to one side. Add the egg and stir for a few seconds so it starts to scramble. Add most of the spring onion and most of the coriander and stir. Remove from the heat. Taste and add lemon juice and more tamari and/or salt if needed.
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Step 9
Divide between 2 serving bowls. Garnish with the peanuts and the rest of the onion and coriander.