Vegan Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Pad Kee Mao is one of the most famous Thai stir-fries. With wide rice noodles, meaty golden-brown tofu strips, fragrant shallots, garlic, ginger, bird’s eye chilies, Chinese broccoli dripping in a savory light brown sauce with Thai basil. This is the ultimate hangover cure that is vegan and gluten-free!
Servings: 4
Calories: 715kcal
Cost: $7.50
Equipment
- Smal Bowl
Ingredients
- 200 g. wide dried rice noodles or fresh ho fun noodles
- 14 oz extra firm tofu pressed and hand torn into bite-size pieces
- ⅔ cup canola oil vegetable oil, or peanut oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ cup shallots thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger, grated
- 3 bird’s eye chilies thinly sliced
- 2 long green chilies cut in strips (optional)
- 3 makrut lime leaves sliced (optional)
- 2 Scallions cut in 2 cm. sections
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 200 grams. Chinese broccoli roughly chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup vegetarian oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup unsalted vegetable stock or water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup Thai basil roughly chopped
To Serve:
- Thai basil leaves
- lime wedges
- Thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Soak the wide dried rice noodles in warm water for 10-20 minutes until they become pliable. If using ho fun noodles, or fresh wide rice noodles, skip this step. Drain and set aside.
- Heat canola, vegetable, or peanut oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry tofu strips until they turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove and filter the frying oil to use for future frying projects.
- In the same pan, add sesame oil. Sauté thinly sliced shallots, minced garlic, grated ginger, bird’s eye chilies, long green chili, and makrut lime leaves (if using) for 4 minutes over medium heat until they become fragrant.
- Add scallions, thinly sliced red pepper, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise carrots, and Chinese broccoli (if using). Stir-fry until the vegetables become tender but still have a crisp texture.
- In a bowl, mix tamari, vegan oyster sauce, palm sugar, rice vinegar, and unsalted vegetable stock (or water). Dissolve cornstarch in this mixture.
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the vegetables. Add the fried tofu and the soaked (or fresh) noodles. Toss everything together until well-coated and heated through.
- Stir in Thai basil leaves and cook for an additional minute until the basil wilts.
- Plate the the Pad Kee Mao in attractive serving dishes, garnished with Thai basil leaves, lime wedges, and thinly sliced scallions.
Video
Notes
🍜 Noodle Nirvana:
Soak rice noodles until just pliable; avoid boiling for stir-frying perfection. Over-soaking leads to mushiness, so find that point where you end up with nice and chewy rice noodles that hold their form.
🥢 Tofu Tricks:
Press tofu dry before frying to minimize oil splatter mess. For a meatier texture, follow the pressing, freezing, and re-pressing method.
🔥 Skip Frying (Healthier Option):
Air-fry tofu for a healthier twist, reducing kitchen cleanup. Toss in a light coating of oil, air fry at 375°F for 14-16 minutes until golden.
Nutrition
Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1102mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1633IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg