Thai Cashew Tofu (Pad Med Mamuang)

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Yields: 2 Servings Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 5 Mins Cook Time: 15 Mins Total Time: 20 Mins

When Gong Bao arrived in Thailand, it eventually evolved into Thai cashew or pad med mamuang. Med mamuang means nut in the shape of a mango. So cute, right? When you compare the Thai pad med mamuang to gong bao, you will find the sauce is slightly changed. The order of adding the ingredients is also different from the Chinese dish. But, the gist still remains—a savoury, spicy dish with soft protein contrasted with a crunchy bite.

In this vegan Thai cashew tofu, we will pan-fry the tofu first to get it golden on all sides. You can also use cauliflower or mock meat instead of tofu. If you do, coat it with flour and cornstarch and deep-fry first, to create a layer of “skin” that would absorb the sauce.

This is a popular dish in Thai restaurants, especially for people who are just getting into Thai cuisine. The flavour is very accessible, and it can be as spicy (or not) as you prefer, simply by adjusting the amount of chillies.

If you don’t have sweet soy sauce / kecap manis, you can just try to make your own. Another way to do it is that if the recipe asks for 0.5 tbsp of sweet soy sauce, you can just use 0.5 tbsp of sugar and 0.5 tbsp of soy sauce instead.

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Ingredients

0/14 Ingredients
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  • Sauce

Instructions

0/9 Instructions
  • Soak the dried chillies in hot water. Julienne the onions and bell pepper and cut the spring onion into thumb lengths. Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes but they don't have to be uniform. Finely chop the garlic. If you are using big chillies, slice them like the bell pepper. If you are using random small chillies like me just halve them length-wise.
  • Toast the cashews in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until golden. Set aside for later.
  • Fry the tofu in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until golden on all sides. Meanwhile add 0.5 tbsp of sweet soy sauce or kecap manis, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of vegan oyster sauce and 4 tbsp of water in a separate bowl. Set aside for later.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and dried chillies. Stir often so the chilli does not burn.
  • When the onion turns slightly translucent add the fresh chillies and garlic.
  • When the raw smell of the garlic is gone, add the bell pepper.
  • Toss and cook for about a minute then add the tofu and the sauce.
  • Mix well, and cook the sauce down until a nice sticky consistency. Sprinkle about 0.5 tsp of white pepper, mix, and adjust to taste. If it's too spicy you may like to add some sugar to balance the heat.
  • Add cashews and spring onions, toss to mix well, and serve with rice.

Tags

#bell pepper  #cashew  #chilli  #onion  #spicy  #tofu  

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