Vegan Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
This Vegan Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) is delicious, easy to make, and packed with the fragrant Thai Basil. The recipe works great with either store-bought or homemade flat rice noodles.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 servings of fresh flat rice noodles* [about 420g]
- 1 cup of vegetable of choice used bok choy
- a handful of Thai basil leaves about 1 cup packed
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 Thai chilies
- 4 oz firm tofu
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons stir fry sauce
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
- 2-3 tablespoons homemade vegan 'fish' sauce see Notes if using store-bought version
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Pound or finely chopped the chili and garlic into bits to release its flavor.
- In a heated non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil, pan fry tofu until golden brown. Then, push tofu to the side of the pan.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and chili until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the vegetables of choice and continue to cook until they are fully cooked through.
- Next, add the noodles and slightly spread it out on the pan.
- Pour in the sauce and quickly toss the noodles with a pair of tongs until all noodles are well coated. Continue to cook for another 30 seconds or so to allow the noodles to absorb all the flavors.
- Taste test and season accordingly that is to add more vegan 'fish' sauce or stir fry sauce for extra umami flavor or more soy sauce or salt for saltiness.
- Finally, add the Thai Basil and give it a quick toss and turn off the heat. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- For dried rice noodles, please prepare noodles as directed before adding them to the mixture.
- If you are using store-bought vegan 'fish' sauce, please adjust the taste accordingly as some brands may have higher sodium or sugar level.
- For homemade sauces, feel free to check out my Cooking Essentials page.