Spring vegetables Pad Thai style

It has always been difficult to me to reproduce a dish that I enjoyed so much during a trip abroad. There is always something missing and I guess it is normal because it can never really be the same without the local flavours and fragrances. That is why I stopped trying to reproduce the originals and inspired by my memories I started creating with ingredients I could find at home, in Paris. Similar to what I have done with my  “Japanese soup”, these “Spring vegetables Pad Thai style” are a result of my Thai inspiration.

Servings : 6. Total time: 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS (organic)

200g of Tofu
1 Bell pepper (red or yellow)
1 Aubergine (small)
100g of Soy sprouts
1 Courgette
1 Onion
3 Garlic cloves
2cm of fresh Ginger
1 Carrot
4 brown Button mushrooms (big)
1 tablespoon of Turmeric
4 tablespoons of Olive oil
60g of  semi-milled Thai rice or 80g of Rice noodles per person
50g of fresh Coriander (to chop directly in a plate or to mix with the vegetables at the end of cooking, as you prefer)
a few drops of Lemon or Lime juice squeezed directly in a plate just before eating
1 handful of Cashew nuts (optional)
some Sesame to sprinkle directly in a plate (not necessary, especially if you are using Cashew nuts)

Sauce:

5 tablespoons of Soy sauce
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of agave syrup

PREPARATION

1. Press tofu gently between your hand palms to get rid of excess liquide (be careful not to crush it). Cut it in 2cm rectangles and fry them with olive oil in a big wok or a pan dish for about 10 minutes at medium temperature. They should become slightly golden.
2. Peel, wash and cut onion in thin stripes. Wash and cut aubergine into 1,5cm dice. Peel garlic and ginger and chop them very finely. Add them to the wok and continu cooking until the onion and the aubergine become soft (15 min approx).
3. Meanwhile wash bell pepper, carrot and courgette and chop them into stripes of about 5cm long and 3-4mm wide. Add them to the wok when the aubergine is soft (it is really not as tasty when not cooked well).
4. Sprinkle with curcuma and continue cooking for another 15 min. Stir often so vegetables can cook evenly.
5. Finally clean and cut the mushrooms into thin slices and add them to to the wok together with the soy sprouts and Cashew nuts for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
6. While the vegetables are cooking prepare the sauce in a separate bowl by mixing 3 ingredients: soy sauce, peanut butter and agave syrup. Pour it over the vegetables at the end of cooking and stir everything together.
7. You can also add fresh coriander at this point if all of your guests like it. If not sprinkle it directly in a plate of those who do.
8. Boil the rice or the rice noodles, according to instructions, in a separate casserole.

You can assemble plates as in the picture adding directly in each plate a few drops of fresh lemon or lime and some sesame seeds. If you are eating it with noodles you can add them directly to the wok and mix gently with the vegetables before serving.