Stir Fried Tofu & Vegetables

Yes, Yup & Yeah! That simple!

Tom Yum Gai

I love this Thai soup, a very good supplement if you're on a diet. If you have a cold/cough, and if you're a vegetarian, trust me, this will definitely soothe you.

Ingredients

1. Red Onion - 1
2. Green Peppers - 1
3. Garlic - 4/5
4. Ginger - 1 tbsp
5. Serrano Chilli - 2
6. Potato - 1
7. Carrot - 1
8. Cauliflower - 1/2 (small sized one)
9. Broccoli - 1/2 (small sized one)
10. Peas - 1/2 cup
11. Kernel Corn - 1/2 cup
12. Firm Tofu - 1 cup
13. Green Onions - 4/5
14. Fresh Basil - 4/5 leaves
15. Lemon Grass - 1 stem
16. Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
17. Veg. Broth - 3 (16 oz.) cans
18. Salt - To Taste
19. Oil - 1 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
20. Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
    
21. Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp
22. Sweet & Sour Sauce - 2 tbsp
    

Procedure

1. Cut ingredients #1 thru' #9 in whatever shape and size you prefer. (But, don't chop it very finely as you'll not be able to appreciate the taste of each of those)
2. Take a pot, and sauté Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Serrano Chilli for a couple of minutes in medium flame
3. Add the potato, carrot, peas, corn, 3 cans of Veg. Broth to the sauteed items in the pot
4. Add the sauces (Soy, Chilli, Sweet & Sour), Tofu, Fresh Basil, Lemon Grass to the broth
5. If you like to eat basil, you can finely chop it, otherwise put the full leaves as-is so that you just get the flavor of it
6. Let it boil for 15-20 minutes so that you let the carrots and potatoes cook enough
7. Now, add Broccoli, Cauliflower, finely chopped coriander leaves and green onions to the pot and turn off the flame. Close the pot with a lid for 5 minutes. This will make the brocolli and cauliflower to a steamed consistency and that's exactly how it should be. You don't want these to get too much boiled and disintegrate in your soup
8. Done

Tips

• Try to use Less Sodium Soy sauce. More the sodium, more the unhealthy your soup is!
• If you want this carb-free, ditch potatoes
  

Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

Ingredients

1. Basmati/Brown Rice (Uncooked) - 2 cups
2. Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
3. Potatoes - 2 nos.
4. Green Pepper - 1 no.
5. Carrot - 1 no.
6. Beans - 1/4 lbs
7. Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
8. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
9. Pineapple - 1 small can (if you don't get fresh pineapple)
10. Basil Leaves - 6
11. Onion - 1 no.
12. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
13. Garlic - 6 cloves
14. Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
15. Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
16. Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
17. Salt - To Taste
18. Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

1. Cook the rice in a cooker and refrigerate it for a couple of hours so that its not like sticky rice. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
2. Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the rice
3. Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
4. When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables and chopped pineapples along with the cooked & cooled rice
5. Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your fried rice will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
6. Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the rice
7. You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
8. That's it! Enjoy your Pineapple Thai Fried Rice!

Pad Kee Mao

Ingredients

1. Flat Rice Noodles
2. Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
3. Potatoes - 2 nos.
4. Green Pepper - 1 no.
5. Carrot - 1 no.
6. Beans - 1/4 lbs
7. Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
8. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
9. Basil Leaves - 6
10. Onion - 1 no.
11. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
12. Garlic - 6 cloves
13. Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
14. Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
15. Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
16. Salt - To Taste
17. Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

1. Boil the flat rice noodles with salt and little bit of oil so that it doesn't stick together. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
2. Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the noodles
3. Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
4. When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables along with the boiled flat rice noodles
5. Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your Pad Kee Mao will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
6. Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the flat rice noodles
7. You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
8. That's it! Enjoy your Pad Kee Mao!

PS: I love to add steamed Broccoli on my Pad Kee Mao, but since the Missus hates the smell of Broccoli, I resigned myself from using it. If you like it, go for it, it'll be heavenly.

Baked Peppers in Coconut Milk

Ingredients

1. Mixed Bell Peppers - 2 nos.
2. Basil Leaves - 6
3. Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
4. Garlic - 6 cloves
5. Coconut Milk - 1 can
6. Salt - To Taste
7. Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
   

Procedure

1. Cut the bell peppers into little squares and mix it with little bit of oil & salt. Put them on a baking dish and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
2. While the bell peppers are getting baked, finely ground the garlic, Thai Green Chillis & Basil Leaves in a mixer/blender and keep them aside.
3. Now, take a pan and add the ground mixture with a can of coconut milk and keep it on medium flame.
4. When the bell peppers are baked, add them to the pan and let it simmer for another 10-15 mins.
5. You're done. Most easiest & quickest thing to make. Enjoy it with some steamed rice or Rotis.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients

1. Potatoes - 2 nos.
2. Green Pepper - 1 no.
   
3. Carrot - 1 no.
4. Basil Leaves - 6
5. Lemon Grass - 2 nos.
6. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
7. Small Egg plant - 2 nos.
   
8. Onion - 2 nos.
   
9. Thai Green Chilli - 6 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
   
10. Garlic - 6 cloves
11. Ginger - same quantity as Garlic
    
12. Dhaniya (Corriander) Seeds - 3 tbsp
    
13. Salt
14. Coconut Milk - 1 can
15. Oil - 1 tbsp
    

Procedure

1. Cut 1 1/2 onions, garlic, ginger, thai green chillis into big cubes. Grind them all together with Corriander seeds, 3 basil leaves, 1/2 green pepper (This will give a very nice green color and flavor)
   
2. Cut rest of the vegetables into big cubes and finely chop the remaining basil leaves
3. Add the oil in a pan and fry the remaining 1/2 onion until it turns golder brown
   
4. Now, add the cut vegetables and the grounded mixture together with some salt. Let it boil in medium flame for few minutes
   
5. Add the whole can of coconut milk on the pan and let it boil will till the curry gets more viscous
6. Your Thai Green Curry is all set. You can just mix this with cooked Basmati rice and enjoy