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Pad thua ngok tao hoo (Thai bean sprouts and tofu stir-fry)
Crunchy bean sprouts and golden tofu flashed through a hot wok with garlic
This plain, fast stir-fry is a fixture of home kitchens and made-to-order rice stalls across central Thailand, where it is eaten as one of two or three dishes shared over jasmine rice at dinner. Firm tofu is browned first, then the sprouts go in for barely a minute so they stay juicy and snap when you bite them. Thai cooks often season it with oyster sauce and fish sauce; this version uses soy and a mushroom-based sauce so it is vegan. The mistake almost everyone makes is cooking the sprouts too long, which turns them limp and watery. Chef's tip: pick off the stringy tails of the sprouts if you have five spare minutes; it makes the dish noticeably crisper.
- Total time
- 11 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 9 oz firm tofupatted dry and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlicroughly chopped
- 10 ½ oz fresh bean sproutsrinsed and well drained
- 1 handful garlic chives or spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauceor 2 tsp extra soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Add 9 oz firm tofu and fry for 4 minutes, turning only every minute, until golden on most sides. Push it to one side.
4 minStep 2: Add 4 cloves garlic to the oil and stir for 20 seconds, until it smells sweet and is just turning pale gold.
Step 3: Turn the heat to high, add 10 ½ oz fresh bean sprouts and 1 handful garlic chives or spring onions, then 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce and ½ tsp sugar. Toss everything with the tofu for 45–60 seconds, only until the sprouts are hot but still bright white and crisp.
1 minStep 4: Sprinkle with ¼ tsp ground white pepper and tip onto a plate at once; the sprouts keep cooking in the hot wok. Serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pad thua ngok tao hoo (Thai bean sprouts and tofu stir-fry) take?
- About 11 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of garlic chives or spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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