Thai Noodles and Thai Wrap with Peanut Sauce

We are all big peanut lovers at my place. So when I came across these recipes, I couldn't wait to try them. And I'm so glad I did - they were extremely well received. I was especially happy that my daughter loved them and gobbled up her dinner that night.

The Noodles recipe is from a Tarla Dalal magazine, it was called Hot Noodle Wok I think. And the Wrap is from the Vegan Family Cookbook (an excellent book that I borrowed from the library after reading about it on Madhuram's Eggless Cooking.). I used the same Peanut Sauce for both and did modify both recipes to suit our needs.

Here's how I made the Peanut Sauce:

6 tbsp smooth peanut butter

4 tbsp soy sauce 

2 tsp Thai Red Curry paste (store bought)

3 tbsp grated gul (jaggery)

3 tsp tamarind paste mixed in 3 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

Additional salt per taste

Mix all the ingredients to form the Peanut Sauce. This made about 2 cups of the sauce.

Here's how I made the Thai noodles:

Any variety of noodles cooked per package instructions

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 c. tofu - drained and cubed

2 cloves garlic - minced

1/2 c. chopped peppers (I used green, red, yellow & orange)

6 baby corn - sliced into half each

1/2 cup shredded carrots

Coarsely ground peanuts and chipped cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a non-stick wok. Saute the onions for 5 mins. on medium heat. Add the diced tofu, increase the heat and let them brown slightly . Then add the garlic, peppers, carrots and baby corn. Saute on high on 5 mins. Then add the cooked noodles and about 1 cup peanut sauce. Stir well. Add more salt & pepper if desired. Also, if the sauce is too thick, add a few tbsp of water so that the noodles don't feel too dry. Heat thru & serve hot, garnished with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro.

Here's how I made the Thai Wrap:

4 burrito size tortillas

1/4 head red cabbage - shredded

1 cup shredded carrots (I used store bought)

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 cup green onions

1 cup shredded lettuce of other mixed greens

Saute the cabbage in a non-stick pan for 2 - 3 mins. Add the carrots, bean sprouts, bean sprouts, green onions and about 1 cup peanut sauce. Mix well and cook 5 mins. Adjust salt as desired. Take off heat. Warm a tortilla either in the microwave or on a pan. Spread the veggie - peanut sauce mix and some mixed greens in the center. Roll up burrito style.

Tofu & Veggies in Thai Peanut Ginger Sauce

My daughter & I both love peanuts, though my hubby is not too keen on it. This week since he is travelling, I decided to make Tofu & Veggies in Thai Peanut Ginger sauce. The basic recipe is from an old issue of Eating Well magazine.

Here's how I made it:

Step 1 - To make the peanut ginger sauce, whisk together -

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd. or to taste

Step 2 -Use 1 14 oz. packet of firm tofu. Drain the water, cut the tofu into long strips of about 1 cm. thickness. Saute them using this dry frying technique from Monsoon Spice. Lay the strips on a non-stick pan and heat on medium high, pressing gently with a spatula. In about 5 mins, it will brown on the lower side. Flip over and repeat on the other side.

Step 3 - When the tofu is browned on both sides, cut into bite-size pieces.

Step 4 -Other veggies

1/2 onion - sliced

1/2 green bell pepper -sliced

1 cup chopped spinach

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tsp oil

Saute the onions in the same pan in which the tofu was dry-fried. When the onions start browning, add the bell peppers, saute 2 mins, add the mushrooms, when they brown, add the spinach.

Step 5 - Now add the peanut sauce & tofu to the veggies.

Step 6 - Top with crushed peanuts and serve hot with whole wheat toast.

This bowlful of Tofu & Veggies in Thai Peanut Ginger Sauce goes to Aquadaze for the Let's Go Nuts event.

Its also off to DK for her AWED - Thai cuisine event. Though this dish is unlike the typical Thai curries, infact its pretty dry, the combination of the sauce ingredients and the veggies used, spell Thai food to me...albeit in a unique way.

Thai Tofu Curry

This recipe is from an old issue of the Eating Well magazine that I was browsing at the Dr.'s office a while back. It caught my eye since I love Thai red curry as well as spinach & tofu and this combines all of them in a quick and easy way. I immediately made a copy and have made this curry several times.



For the sauce, you need:



1 cup lite coconut milk

2 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt (or to taste)



Whisk all the ingredients together.



Tofu & veggies:



1 14 oz. pack of extra-firm tofu

2 cups chopped spinach

1 medium red bell pepper sliced

1 tsp lemon juice



Drain the tofu and place between a few sheets of paper towels. Keep a weight on it (like a can of beans etc.). After about 10 mins., slice the tofu into bite-size pieces. Then pan-fry the tofu to golden brown, without oil, using this technique from Monsoon Spice. Add the bell pepper and saute till it is slightly cooked,but still has some crunch, about 5 mins. Add spinach and thai curry sauce. Boil once. Add the lemon juice.



Serve over brown rice.



Per the magazine, one 3/4 cup serving has 20% of the daily calcium requirement. Not bad, hence its going to the Calcium Rich Foods event at Sangeeth's Art of Cooking Indian Food.