I have a bit of a sweet tooth and I think that’s one reason I enjoy Thai food. The cuisine usually has some sweet notes along with other flavor profiles like salty, spicy, sour. I also love the fresh herbs in Thai food like cilantro and basil. They add a wonderful, aromatic freshness to every dish.
This Peanut Noodle stir fry has a few of those flavor profiles along with one of my favorite ingredients lately, peanut butter. I happened to have crunchy peanut butter in the cabinet when I made this which worked out nicely because I didn’t have to add any chopped peanuts to the cooking vegetables, I just sprinkled some on top for garnish.
As for the noodles, I had some fresh Chinese Spaghetti Noodles in my fridge, but regular spaghetti noodles would be pretty much the same.
I don’t always have fresh ginger at home. So I was excited to find minced ginger in a tube at the grocery store one day. I find this to be really convenient. No need to peel and mince fresh ginger and when I decide to make a stir fry at the last minute I have ginger on hand!
For the vegetables in this dish, I used what I had. So feel free to use what you have. Some other great vegetable options are bell pepper, cabbage, edamame, cucumber, or broccoli. To note, I just chopped my vegetables, but to make your dish look like restaurant quality you can julienne the vegetables.
If you’re in the mood for something unique for dinner, give this recipe a try and you won’t be disappointed!
| Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30-45 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 7 ounces extra firm tofu drained & cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1 onion julienned
- 2 carrots julienned
- 1 zucchini julienned
- 1/3 cup peanuts chopped
- 1-2 green onion finely sliced
- handful cilantro or basil chopped
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
Breaded Tofu
Noodles and Vegetables
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- Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the block of tofu on paper towel or a kitchen towel. Top with another towel and place a heavy pot on top to press out some of the water. Leave for about 10 minutes and then cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes.
- In a shallow bowl, crack the egg and beat. In another shallow bowl, mix the panko, salt & pepper, and garlic powder. Drop a few tofu pieces into the egg mixture to coat. Then transfer them to the panko and coat. Press the crumbs onto the tofu to make sure they adhere. Continue until all the tofu is breaded.
- Place a cooling rack on a sheet tray and put the tofu on the rack. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the panko is golden brown.
- While the tofu is baking, whisk together all the ingredients for the peanut sauce and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large saute pan or wok, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the carrots are fork tender. Add the zucchini and cook another 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the peanut suace to the vegetables and combine. Allow to simmer for a minute so the garlic and ginger can cook. Then, add the noodles and peanuts (reserving some for garnish) and toss to combine. Turn off the heat and serve. Top with the breaded tofu and garnish with green onion, herbs, and peanuts.