Tofu Thai Basil Stir-Fry (Pad Krapow)

Spicy and fresh. Plant-based, and vegan.

One of my favorite Thai takeout restaurants in New York City is Pure Thai Cookhouse in Hell’s Kitchen. I have many fond memories of visiting my friend’s apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, climbing her five very long flights of stairs, and us spending the night chatting and ordering Thai takeout. Thai basil wok stir-fry or Pad Krapow/ Pad Kra Pao was our go to stir-fry dish every single time. I developed this recipe back when I was living in NYC and couldn’t afford takeout every week but still wanted to get the same experience of eating it in a bowl while sitting on my couch binge watching a tv show.

Pad Krapow is a traditional Thai stir-fry dish typically served with holy basil, Thai chiles, fish sauce, and soy sauce with ground meat, either chicken or turkey. The version at Pure Thai Cookhouse used jalapeños which is an okay substitute but if you like spice, I highly recommend sourcing some Thai chiles from your local farmers market, asian market or robust supermarket like Whole Foods. This vegan and plant-based Thai basil stir-fry version is made with shredded tofu to achieve a similar texture to ground meat and uses Thai basil instead of holy basil (thai basil is typically easier to find). For a high protein option, use extra firm tofu.

Equipment

large wok or pan
grater optional to shred by hand
medium pot

Ingredients

1 small shallot (diced)
4 thai chili peppers sub 1-2 jalepenos
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups chopped green beans cut up to roughly 2 inches per piece
14 oz firm tofu 1 block
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp vegan fish sauce skip if you can't find but it will taste slightly different
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp vegetable stock powder optional (I used vegetable wonton soup powder)
1 cup thai basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Prep and bake the tofu

Press out the excess water of the firm tofu. I like to place the tofu in between two cutting boards and stack some cans on top of it for a few hours. Pat the tofu dry. You want the tofu to be as dry as possible before roasting
Preheat the oven to 350℉
Shred the tofu into pieces. I like to use the largest holes in a cheese grater.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the tofu with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well so that the tofu is well coated
Spread the tofu out on a baking tray and make sure it is evenly spread out across the tray so that the tofu will bake evenly
Bake the tofu for 30 minutes. Remove the tray halfway and mix the tofu up so that the top is able to crisp up as well. You'll notice when you take the tofu out that the bottom is starting to crisp up but the top is still soft.

Prep and cook the green beans

Wash and cut the green beens into roughly 2 inch pieces until you have about 2 cups worth of green beens
Bring a medium size pot to a boil and add the green beens. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Strain the green beans and let it rest or dunk them in some cold water to blanch.

Stir Fry

Finely dice the shallots and garlic. Slice up the thai chile peppers
In a small bowl, create the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and optional vegetable stock seasoning
In a large wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, and thai chile peppers. Stir fry for 2 minutes, making sure the shallots and garlic do not burn.
Add in half of the sauce, stirring as you add in more sauce. Let the flavors cook together for another 3 minutes.
Add the baked tofu and the green beans. Keep stir frying everything together so that nothing burns. Add in the rest of the sauce. If you do start to see caramelization on the pan, add some water and gently scrap the caramelization off the pan so the flavors are incorporated in the dish. Stir fry another 5 minutes. This is so the flavors can cook into the tofu and green beans.
Turn off the heat and season with 1/4 tsp of salt and mix in the fresh thai basil. Serve on a bed of white rice.

Tofu Thai Basil Stir Fry (Pad Krapow)