Quick N' Easy Pad Thai

Quick N' Easy Pad Thai

Honestly, this is one we come back to again and again when we want something that feels like a proper takeaway but takes barely any effort. The combination of silky rice noodles, crispy tofu, and that punchy sauce with tamarind and soy is just unreal. You get heat from the chillies, a little sweetness, loads of umami, and then all those fresh toppings to finish it off. We love this one because it looks and tastes impressive but you can have it on the table in 20 minutes flat. Make it tonight, seriously.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Tofu press (or heavy weight to press tofu)
  • Large wok or large frying pan
  • Cooked rice noodles (prepare according to package instructions)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce to taste
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar - brown sugar would do
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 5cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 x 280g block of firm tofu
  • 125g smooth peanut butter
  • 100g Sriracha - more or less to taste
  • 235ml water
  • 2 carrots
  • 8 baby corn
  • 1 handful of mangetout
  • 2 red chillies
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 60g crunchy peanuts
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 pack of rice noodles - cooked according to back of pack

Method

1

Prepare the tofu and vegetables

  • Press and cut the tofu into 1cm cubes
  • Finely chop the garlic
  • Chop the ginger into matchsticks
  • Finely dice the carrots and red bell pepper
  • Chop the baby corn into quarters
  • Deseed and finely slice the red chillies
  • Finely slice the spring onion
2

Heat the oil

  • Add the ginger & garlic and stir for about a minute (don't let the garlic brown)
  • Add the tofu cubes to the pan and cook for a few minutes, until they start to darken on the outside
  • Add the smooth peanut butter & stir so it's all mixed in nicely, then add the soy sauce, Sriracha and water
  • Stir and cook down until you have a nice thick paste coating the tofu
  • Add the coconut sugar stir until it's dissolved and mixed in thoroughly
3

Cook the vegetables and serve

  • Add the vegetables and mix round so they're all well covered in the sauce (don't let them get too soft - the veg will ideally have a lovely crunch to them)
  • Add the crushed nuts, green onions & stir round
  • Then, add the freshly cooked rice noodles (they should be fresh out the pan & still very much wet - this makes the sauce the perfect consistency)
  • Mix them round so they're well covered in sauce
  • Serve immediately with a dressing of Sriracha, crushed peanuts & spring onions

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu well: The drier your tofu before it hits the pan, the crispier it gets. Even 10 minutes under a heavy pan makes a real difference. Trust us on this one.
  • Swap the veg: This is a great fridge-raid recipe. Ian loves chucking in whatever needs using up, tenderstem broccoli, sugar snap peas, or courgette all work brilliantly here.
  • Adjust the heat: Henry always adds an extra chilli because he genuinely cannot help himself, but if you want it mild just leave them out or deseed properly. The sauce still has loads of flavour without the fire.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting your tofu properly golden before you add anything else to the pan. If you rush that step you end up with soft, sad tofu instead of those crispy little cubes that make the whole dish. The other thing is the sauce; getting that balance of salty, sour, and sweet right before it hits the noodles is what makes it taste like the real deal.