Vegetarian Pad Thai

Every now and then, I get a craving for Thai food. Actually, let's be honest, it's probably once a week! When I happen to have the ingredients at home, I make this vegetarian Pad Thai. It's pretty darn good. The recipe below is how I made it tonight, but if I'd been a little more well prepared I would've added some bean shoots.

Ingredients:

• Flat rice noodles
• Firm tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small brown onion
• 1 spring onion
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small piece of fresh ginger
• 1 small red chili
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• A squeeze of Sriracha chili sauce

Make it:

1. Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for 7-8 minutes, then set aside to drain.
2. Heat about 1 tbsp canola oil in a small frying pan and fry the tofu (stirring) until it starts to brown, then set aside on paper towel to soak up excess oil.
3. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl (a few quick flicks with a fork is enough!), then pour into the same small frying pan used for the tofu. Let it cook for a minute or two, then flip. Place the cooked egg on a chopping board and slice into strips, then put aside.
4. Chop the onions and carrots, then heat a tbsp canola oil in a large wok and throw them in to fry.
5. Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic, ginger and chili and throw them in too.
6. While that's cooking, put 3/4 cup boiling water in a mug, then add the tamarind, soy and Sriracha. Squeeze in juice of the lime, and stir it under the tamarind paste has mostly dissolved.
7. Pour this into the wok with the onion/carrot etc, then add the precooked rice noodles.
8. Stir it altogether until the sauce has coated the noodles, then serve into bowls.
9. Top with the fried tofu and sliced egg.
10. Eat!

...one day I'll come back to this recipe and include proper quantities, but I usually just make it up depending on how many people are eating.