This recipe came about after discussions with a friend who had just returned from Thailand with lots of recipe ideas. I visited Thailand a few years ago and did some research there and some experimenting on my return, so we decided to collaborate and worked on how to do vegetarian versions of typical Thai recipes with a limited range of ingredients. I came up with this. I also did Thai mushroom soup and courgette and coconut curry. We thought our ideas were generally successful, although we both missed lemon grass and kaffir limes among our available ingredients. We're planning a trip together sometime and we'll take enough basic utensils and a gas stove with us to do some cooking as we travel. But in the mean time, here's the noodle recipe.
Most types of noodles can be used for this recipe. Cook them while you are chopping the vegetables, but take them off the heat and drain them while they are still a little chewy as they will cook further when mixed in with the other ingredients towards the end. You can use 'instant' noodles - just soak them for a few minutes, not long enough for them to get really soft.
I suggest using roasted peanuts for this recipe. If you can't find unsalted roasted peanuts you can use salted ones, but don't add any more salt to the dish. If you find fresh kernels, dry roast them in a hot frying pan for five minutes. Keep shaking the pan so they don't burn on one side. To remove the red husks (or most of them) crush the peanuts lightly (with your fingers if you're strong, or with a pestle and mortar) then shake them around in a bowl while you blow off the husks. This is a messy business and I usually do it out on the balcony. You can grind the nuts further once you've got rid of the husks.
I found some lovely fresh young radishes in the market with the leaves still attached. If you find the same, use the leaves in the recipe too. If not, use a few extra radishes, or alternatively you can use cabbage. I cooked this dish for two, so if you're aiming to feed more people, scale up the quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
200-250g tofu
3 or 4 young radishes with leaves and stalks
1 small onion
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
A quarter teaspoon of crushed red chilli
A handful of roasted peanuts
A small bunch of green coriander
120g of noodles
Vegetable oil
Salt
Rinse the tofu, cut it into chunks and marinate it in the lemon juice and soy sauce with the chilli. Put a pan of water on to boil for the noodles and then grind the peanuts. Chop all the vegetables finely and leave aside. The water should be about boiling by now so throw in the noodles with a little salt and don't forget to drain them before they get soggy.
Drain the tofu but save the marinade. Fry the tofu in a little oil until it starts to go golden then transfer it to a plate or bowl. Put a little more oil in the pan and stir fry the vegetables for a few minutes. The pan will probably be a bit messy with bits of tofu stuck to it, but that's good. It should scrape off as your cooking but even if it doesn't it will come off when you add the left-over marinade. Do this after three or four minutes of stir frying and turn the heat down. Add the tofu and spread it over the vegetables, then do the same with the noodles and finally the peanuts. Sprinkle on a little salt and add a little water to stop the ingredients sticking then cover the pan. Allow about five minutes to heat everything through then stir in the chopped coriander and serve.