Veggie Pad Thai – Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe

Recipe for Pad Thai made at home with pad thai sauce, tofu and vegetables. Its naturally gluten free as its made with rice noodles. A very healthy recipe that can be put together in under 30-40 minutes. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

I made this delicious pad thai with loaded veggies and tofu. If you have rice noodles in the pantry and some veggies, the dish comes together in no time at all. In Bangalore, you get these pad thai noodles / rice noodles in some stores but you can always find them online. I have given a few links here on the blog so you can buy them online. The veggies you use are totally up to you. Use whatever veggie you can find in your refrigerator. The noodles is soaked for about 10-12 minutes in hot water and then it is used to prepare pad thai. If you are planning ahead, after soaking the noodles in hot water, drain it, fill the bowl with cold water and store it like that along with the water until the time you need it. The noodles will become very dry otherwise. The recipe is made in two parts. Making of the sauce and making the pad thai. Also, I roast my own peanuts as its so crunchy and nice when its made just then and there. But feel free to omit this step and use roasted salted peanuts instead.

Here are some ingredients that you can buy online for making this pad thai.
Pad Thai Rice Noodles
Sriracha Sauce
Soy Sauce
Carbon Steel Wok

Here is the video of how to make Pad thai at home from scratch.

Here is the step by step pictorial of how to make Pad Thai.

The first step in making the pad thai is making the pad thai sauce. My pad thai sauce is loosely based on Chef Jet Tila’s sauce. The traditional version uses fish sauce but I have kept it completely vegetarian / vegan. Soak the tamarind in hot water for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Strain the pulp.

To the strained pulp, add all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and roast the skinned peanuts on a low flame till golden. Remove from oil and set aside to cool a bit. When cool, crush it gently in a mortar and pestle. Set aside. If you have ready made roasted peanuts of good quality, you can omit this step.

In the remaining oil, add in the diced tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes so the skin of the tofu is a little dry. Remove from oil and set aside.

In the same oil, add in the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.

Add in all the veggies at once and sauté for 5 minutes. Add a little salt while sautéing. Do not overdo salt as the pad thai sauce itself can be salty due to the addition of soy sauce. We can adjust the seasoning later. So go easy on the salt at this stage.

Add in the sauce and the tofu. Let it cook for a few minutes on low flame.

Add in the rice noodles. The rice noodles need not be cooked like regular noodles. Just soak the noodles in hot water for 10-12 minutes and the rice noodles are ready to go. If you are planning ahead, after soaking the noodles in hot water, drain it, fill the bowl with cold water and store it like that along with the water until the time you need it. The noodles will become very dry otherwise.

After adding the rice noodles, mix well to combine. Check for seasoning and adjust the seasoning and salt if necessary.

If the noodles look dry, add in a few tablespoon of water. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the noodles is soft. Add in half of the peanuts. Use the other half for garnish and to serve on the side.

Add in the spring onions and mung bean sprouts. I did not have any sprouts. So I have not used it. Also, traditionally, garlic chives are used for pad thai. Its very difficult for me to come across garlic chives here in Bangalore. Even though spring onions and garlic chives look the same, garlic chives are little flat. If you can find garlic chives, use that. Else spring onions / scallions work just fine. Mix well and serve hot.

Fantastic, home made from scratch, Veggie Vegan Pad Thai is ready!

Veggie Pad Thai – Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe

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Recipe for Pad Thai made at home with pad thai sauce, tofu and vegetables. Its naturally gluten free as its made with rice noodles. A very healthy recipe that can be put together in under 30-40 minutes.

• Total Time: 35m
• Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

Ingredients

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For the Pad Thai Sauce

1 inch piece tamarind
1/2 cup hot water to soak tamarind
1 tablespoon palm sugar / jaggery
1.5 teaspoon chilli sauce like sriracha
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or) plain vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
3 tablespoon soy sauce

Other Ingredients

250 grams rice noodles
2 tablespoon peanut oil
1/3 cup peanuts
200 grams / 1 pack firm tofu
1 pod garlic, minced
3 stalks spring onions, white part alone
1/2 cup onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, julienne
1 capsicum, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 stalks spring onions, cut
1/2 cup mung sprouts
1 lime, juiced

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Instructions

Soak the tamarind in hot water for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Strain the pulp. To the strained pulp, add all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and roast the skinned peanuts on a low flame till golden. Remove from oil and set aside to cool a bit. When cool, crush it gently in a mortar and pestle. Set aside. If you have ready made roasted peanuts of good quality, you can omit this step.

In the remaining oil, add in the diced tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes so the skin of the tofu is a little dry. Remove from oil and set aside.

In the same oil, add in the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Add in all the veggies at once and sauté for 5 minutes. Add a little salt while sautéing. Do not overdo salt as the pad thai sauce itself can be salty due to the addition of soy sauce. We can adjust the seasoning later. So go easy on the salt at this stage. Add in the sauce and the tofu. Let it cook for a few minutes on low flame.

Add in the rice noodles. The rice noodles need not be cooked like regular noodles. Just soak the noodles in hot water for 10-12 minutes and the rice noodles are ready to go. After adding the rice noodles, mix well to combine. Check for seasoning and adjust the seasoning and salt if necessary. If the noodles look dry, add in a few tablespoon of water. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the noodles is soft. Add in half of the peanuts. Use the other half for garnish and to serve on the side.

Add in the spring onions and mung bean sprouts. Mix well and serve hot. Fantastic, home made from scratch, Veggie Vegan Pad Thai is ready!

• Author: Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15m
• Cook Time: 20m