Pad Thai has been one of my favorite dishes since I first tried it 20 years ago at King & I, so I was excited when I found a recipe for Peanut Butter Pad Thai in Minimalist Baker‘s Everyday Cooking. How could coupling two delicious ideas go wrong?
Unfortunately, this recipe had several flaws. An extensive list of ingredients to prep and multiple steps meant the total cooking time of 50 minutes nearly doubled when I put together the finished dish. Despite the extensive list of potent ingredients (including tamarind concentrate, maple syrup, tamari and chile garlic sauce) the dish lacked spice and tasted overwhelmingly of peanut butter.
This dish needed additional heat and acid to balance the rich peanut butter. For a better bite, I added several dollops of chile sauce, a healthy squeeze of lime juice and left off the optional peanut butter sauce entirely. After nearly two hours of work, this peanut buttery pad Thai left me yearning for the King & I classic.
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. Most of the recipes were fairly straightforward, but are too complicated for a weeknight meal.
This book is for: Vegetarians, vegans, the gluten-intolerant and others with food allergies
Other recipes to try: White bean pozole verde, Better-Than-Restaurant Vegan Nachos, butternut squash-garlic mac n cheese
Verdict: Food 52’s onion carbonara takes the win!
Peanut Butter Pad Thai
2 servings as an entree, 4 as a side
12 oz. (340 g.) extra-firm tofu
6 oz. (170 g.) thin rice noodles
3 cloves garlic (1½ Tbsp. or 9 g.), minced
1 large bundle (6 oz. or 170 g.) green onions, finely chopped
2 whole carrots (122 g.), ribboned with a vegetable peeler or thinly diced
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. (32 g.) salted creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. (45 g.) tamarind concentrate or paste*
4½ Tbsp. (68 ml.) tamari or soy sauce (if gluten-free, use tamari)
3 to 4 Tbsp. (45 to 60 ml.) maple syrup (or substitute coconut sugar)
1½ tsp. chile garlic sauce, plus more for serving
For serving (optional):
Peanut sauce (recipe follows)
Chili garlic sauce
Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
• Wrap the tofu in a clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy on top, such as a cast-iron skillet, to aid in draining the moisture.
• Once the oven is hot, cube the tofu into bite-size pieces and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Depending on the firmness of the tofu, the cooking times will vary. The longer it bakes, the firmer and chewier it gets, which I prefer. Check for doneness at the 28-minute mark and bake longer if desired.
• In the meantime, make the sauce. To a small skillet add the peanut butter, tamarind concentrate, 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) tamari, 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce. Heat over medium heat. When the sauce begins bubbling, sir and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off heat and let rest. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more chile garlic sauce for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, or tamari for saltiness. The flavor should be sour-sweet.
• When the tofu is almost done baking, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Then drain and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the baked tofu, 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) pad Thai sauce, 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) tamari, and the remaining ½ teaspoon chile garlic sauce. Stir frequently and cook until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• To the same skillet, add the garlic and green onion (reserving a small amount for garnish), and ½ tablespoon (8 ml.) more tamari. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cooked noodles and the remaining pad Thai sauce and toss with tongs to coat. Raise the heat to medium high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tofu during the last minute of cooking to warm through.
• Remove from the heat and serve with the carrots, the reserved green onions, peanut sauce (optional), and additional chile garlic sauce.
• Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, though best when fresh.
Peanut Sauce
¾ cup
½ cup (128 g.) salted natural peanut butter (or substitute cashew butter or almond butter)
1½ to 2 Tbsp. (22 to 30 ml.) tamari or soy sauce
2 to 3 Tbsp. (24 to 36 g) coconut sugar or organic brown sugar plus more to taste
½ lime, juiced (1 Tbsp. or 15 ml.)
½ tsp. chile garlic sauce
2 to 4 Tbsp. (30 to 60 ml.) hot water to thin
• In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, tamari, coconut sugar, lime juice, and chile garlic sauce together. Add the hot water to thin until pourable. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
• Leftovers keep covered in refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Add more hot water if the sauce becomes too thick after chilling.
• Pairs well with dishes like pad Thai, stir-fries, rice noodle salads, spring rolls, and more.
* Tamarind concentrate can be found online and in Asian grocery stores.
This article appears in July 2016.