Sweet and Tangy
The international popularity of Thailand’s national dish Pad Thai is no accident. During WWII PM Plaek issued 12 cultural mandates to unify the Thai people. Faced with floods and a rice shortage, he launched a national campaign “noodles is your lunch,” which promoted stir-fried noodles. Noodles take ~50% less rice to produce, are shelf stable and are very versatile. The first evidence of a national recipe emerged in Keumue Maebaan Tang Wittayu lea Toratas (“Housewife’s Manual From Radio and TV”), combining iconic Thai ingredients palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind to provide sweet, salty and sour notes. These were married with local vegetables and protein (e.g., egg, tofu, prawn, chicken) to create this iconic dish. In 2001, recognising the potential of cuisine to inspire people, tourism and commerce, the Thai government launched its “gastrodiplomacy” efforts. This led to significant growth in tourism to Thailand and the explosion of Thai restaurants internationally. Our [MOCK]® Chicken Pieces allow you to create a satisfying vegan version of Pad Thai, an international favourite.
4 Servings
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 250g flat rice noodles
Sauce
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 150ml dark soy sauce
- 50ml vegan fish sauce
Stir fry
- 2 tbsp peanut butter oil
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 20g bean sprouts
- 1 tsp garlic chives
- 50g unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
[MOCK]® Chicken Pieces
To serve
- Lime wedges
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp crispy onions
- 1 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped
Preparation
Prepare the noodles
Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, the drain the water out and rinse the noodles under cold water. Don’t leave them sitting around for more than 10 minutes.
Prepare the sauce
Mix all the sauce ingredients until well combined and set aside.
Make the stir fry
Heat the peanut butter oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the [MOCK]® Chicken Pieces and cook for a further 2 minutes until mostly cooked through. Add the noodles and the sauce, and toss gently for 1 1/2 minutes until thoroughly combined. Add the garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss through quickly then remove from the heat.
To serve
Garnish with the remaining peanuts, the spring onion, the fresh coriander and the crispy onions. Add lime juice to taste.
Production Information
[MOCK]® Chicken Pieces
Highly versatile plant-based chicken pieces that can replace meat in a variety of dishes.
