Vegan pad thai with purple sprouting broccoli recipe

Publish date: 2024-05-22

This vegan version of the classic dish celebrates the original, while adding something new in the form of purple sprouting broccoli. Pad thai is best eaten with as many garnishes as possible, so customise yours with fried shallots, pickled vegetables and crushed peanuts as you wish.

Timings

Prep time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves

Four

Ingredients

For the pad thai sauce

For the tofu and broccoli

Method 

  • First, make the sauce by putting the peanut butter, tamarind paste and syrup into a bowl, then slowly mixing in the soy sauce, lime juice and four tablespoons of water.
  • Next, trim the broccoli, and put the florets into a bowl. Chop the stalks and leaves into 1cm pieces. Place the garlic, ginger, chillies and tofu in little piles within easy reach of the hob. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, rinse under cold water, drain, then drizzle with a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and toss gently with your hands.
  • In a large non-stick frying pan with a lid, heat two tablespoons of rapeseed oil on a medium-high flame, then fry the tofu for five minutes, turning every minute, until it’s pale gold.
  • Add the ginger, garlic and chilli, cook for two minutes, then add the broccoli stalks and four tablespoons of water, cover the pan and steam for two minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Add the broccoli florets, sauce and spring onions (reserve a handful for garnish), stir to combine, then cover again and leave for two minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to a whisper, add the noodles handful by handful, gently mixing them in until coated in sauce, then turn off the heat. Distribute the noodles between four plates and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and reserved spring onions. Drizzle each portion with sesame oil, scatter over the herbs and add a generous squeeze of lime, and serve immediately.
  • East: 120 Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Meera Sodha is published by Fig Tree (£20). Pre-order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk.

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