This simple stir-fry is reminiscent of my favourite childhood take-away dish – the perfect balance between sweet and savoury, moorish, creamy and with a real comfort food vibe. Sadly, many of our favourite take-away dishes aren’t made with the quality ingredients and are high in sodium and sugar which is often why you are left feeling a little sluggish after an Uber Eats!
Filled with fresh, colourful vegetables, golden tofu, a delectable sweet chilli sauce and golden roasted cashews, this stir-fry emulates all the best bits of your favourite noodle takeaway dish and will not zap your energy.
When you think of sweet chilli sauce, likely a sickeningly sweet, thick and sticky sauce comes to mind– a classic consistency that can only be achieved when sugar is at play. While not reminiscent of typical sweet chilli sauce you’d consider pairing with sour cream and wedges, this sweet chilli sauce recipe uses a hint of Nuvia for sweetness and relies on real, whole food ingredients to produce rounded depth of flavour.
Lets face it, the sticky original does still have its place, but when you want to emulate its flavour with a healthier list of ingredients, this sauce will become your new go-to. Use it as a marinade base for vegetables, tofu or chicken, or use as a stir-fry sauce like we’ve done here.
Creating as part of our sugar-free cleanse? Recipe can be halved for a lunch or dinner later in the week.
TOFU PAD THAI
- Nutritional Breakdown: per portion (whole recipe)
(g)
- Sauce
- Calories: 41.5 (166)
- Carbs: 5.75 (23)
- Fat: 1.75 (7)
- Stir fry
- Calories: 543 (2172)
- Carbs: 56.5 (226)
- Fat: 28 (1112)
- Protein: 1.5 (6)
- Sodium: 11.75 (47)
- Sugar: 0.25 (1)
- Protein: 18 (72)
- Sodium: 51.25 (205)
- Sugar: 5.5 (22)
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- FOR THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE
- 1⁄2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 limes, juiced
- 4 birdseye chillies, de-seeded
- 2 tbsps tamari
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 chunk of ginger (about 4cm)
- 3 tsps Nuvia Sweetener
- FOR THE STIR FRY
- 2 tbsps coconut oil
- 200g firm tofu, chopped into 2cm cubes
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 200g Pad Thai Rice Noodles, cooked according to packet directions
- 1⁄2 bunch green onions, finely sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 cup finely sliced red cabbage
- 1 cup beansprouts
- 1⁄2 red capsicum, sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
- 4 tbsps hulled tahini
- 1 bunch coriander, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup cashews, roasted and roughly chopped
METHOD
- 1. Combine all sweet chilli sauce ingredients together in a high speed blender and blend on high for 60 seconds, to ensure all ingredients are well combined and set aside.
- 2. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat.
- 3. Add half of the coconut oil to the pan, along with the clove of minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tofu and tamari.
- 4. Cook for 1 minute, then using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir and redistribute the tofu, cooking for a further minute, ensuring tofu is fully coated in the tamari or soy and appears golden brown in colour. Remove from pan and set aside in a clean bowl or dish.
- 5. Heat the remaining half of the coconut oil in the same frying pan or wok. Add the prepared vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, while stirring, to ensure vegetables are cooked evenly.
- 6. Add the rice noodles and return the tofu to the pan. Add the prepared sweet chili sauce and tahini to the pan. Stir well with tongs, to ensure the vegetables, noodles and tofu are well coated. Turn off the heat.
- 7. Serve into bowls and top with chopped coriander and cashew nuts.
The sweet chilli sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or jar for up to two weeks, Stir-fry cannot be frozen.
For any leftovers, wait until stir-fry has cooled, then store in an air-tight container and eat within three days.
TWEAKS
Switch tofu for 200g chopped chicken breast or thighs if preferred.
Not a fan of rice noodles? Simply increase the vegetables instead– add an additional peeled zucchini and peeled carrot to add volume to the meal.
Like spicy food? Leave the seeds in the chillies for more of a kick.
