Pad Thai with Tofu

Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand.

Yield:

5 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

1. For the sauce:
2. ===================
3. 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5. 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
6. 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
7. 1 tablespoon maple syrup
8. .
9. For the noodles:
10. ===================
11. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
12. 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
13. 1 cup grated carrot
14. 1 garlic clove, minced
15. 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
16. 1 cup light coconut milk
17. 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
18. 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
19. 1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onion tops
20. 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
21. 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
22. 8 ounces uncooked wide rice stick noodles (Banh Pho), cooked and drained
23. 5 lime wedges

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
2. To prepare noodles, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, carrot, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add sauce and tofu; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk; cook 2 minutes. Stir in lettuce and next 5 ingredients (lettuce through noodles); cook 1 minute. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes