Pad Thai Recipe (Vegan) (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan pad thai sauce made of? ›

The sauce is usually made simply with palm sugar, tamarind, and fish sauce or soy sauce.

Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. Tamarind is the ingredient that is the heart and soul of Pad Thai sauce, giving the sauce the sour flavour that Pad Thai is known for. It's an ingredient used in South East Asian cooking, like this Malaysian Beef Rendang.

The crisp vegetables, savory noodles, and tangy sauce come together for its distinct taste. The eggs add a dash of protein. You'll get a helping of many foods, all in one dish. If you're looking for a delicious new meal to make for dinner soon, you'll love our spicy pad thai recipe.

If you cannot find palm sugar, the best substitute is brown sugar (1-1).

It can definitely be a part of a balanced, well-rounded diet. While pad thai includes many nutritious ingredients, its sodium content is considerably high. You can reduce its sodium by requesting the eatery go easy on the sauce and salt-contributing condiments.

It is usually a mixture of fish sauce (condiment made of fish), oyster sauce (made from oyster extract), brown sugar and tamarind (tree seed), but can also include shrimp, garlic, shallots or red chili pepper. Some establishments or chefs may use soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans and wheat.

If it's only made of those ingredients, what then makes it so unique? A Pad Thai has tamarind, fish sauce, garlic, dried shrimp, palm sugar, and red chili pepper. These simple ingredients make Pad Thai a bowl of five tastes—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami.

TAMARIND SUBSTITUTION

Although ketchup is a common replacement for tamarind paste, we prefer this tasty mixture: 1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato paste, 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar or freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, 2 tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar and 1 tbsp (15 mL) water.

You've probably had pad thai in your local restaurant, but what you had may not be anything like the authentic version. First, it should not have ketchup or any tomato product in it. Second, it should not be syrupy sweet. And finally, it shouldn't be just a heavy, soggy clump of noodles with bits of green onions.

Pad thai is made with rice noodles, which are stir fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, flavored with tamarind juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, and sometimes red chili pepper and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and often crushed roasted peanuts.

What are the red things in Pad Thai? ›

Tamarind concentrate: This is the starring ingredient in pad Thai that gives the sauce its signature tangy, sweet, and fruity flavor. Granted, some American Thai restaurants have switched to using ketchup in its place, which gives the dish a notably different and less-tangy flavor.

Oil is required for nearly all Thai dishes. Thai cooks commonly use coconut oil, palm oil, peanut oil, or soybean oil; traditionally, lard was also used in Thai cooking. These types of oil are low-smoke, as is desirable for frying or grilling, and they do not break down quickly.

In most dishes, a 1:1 substitute of lemon juice will work just fine. Depending on the recipe you could also try grapefruit juice or orange juice, bearing in mind that these are sweeter than lime.

It is known in English as "Malacca sugar", probably because it originated in the state of Malacca, Malaysia (Malay: Melaka). Traditionally, gula melaka is made by extracting the sap from the flower bud of a coconut tree.

For the Pad Thai sauce:

5 Tablespoons light brown sugar. 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar , or Tamarind Paste* 1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce , or more, to taste.

Ingredients: salt solution (water, salt), sugar, soybean protein, yeast extract, seaweed extract, distilled vinegar.

The word for vegetarian is mangsawerat (มังสวิรัติ). The word for vegan is jey (เจ).

Liquid aminos are a fish sauce and soy sauce alternative that are made from non-GMO soybeans and water. They're gluten-free and have a similar umami flavor to fish sauce. Liquid aminos can be found in health food stores or online. Coconut aminos are a great alternative for fish sauce for several reasons.

Although traditional oyster sauce is not vegan, some companies produce vegan versions made with organic, plant-based ingredients. If vegan-style oyster sauce isn't available to you, alternatives like coconut aminos, hoisin sauce, and teriyaki sauce may do in a pinch.