Pad Krapow Tofu Thai Basil Stir Fry 🌿🔥

Description

Thai pad krapow with crispy seared tofu in a glossy garlic chili sauce, finished with Thai basil for that iconic street aroma, bold, clean, and premium without meat. 🌶️

Hook ✨

If you want a Thai dish that is extremely searched and tastes like a real street wok in minutes, tofu pad krapow is pure heat, basil perfume, and fast glossy sauce. ✨

Ingredients

• Tofu and base
• 🧊 500 g firm tofu, pressed 10 min, 2 cm cubes (1.1 lb)
• 🛢️ 30 ml neutral oil, divided (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧄 18 g garlic, finely chopped (6 cloves / 0.6 oz)
• 🌶️ 10 g Thai chilies, sliced, to taste (4–6 chilies / 0.35 oz)
• 🧅 120 g onion, thin wedges (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• Sauce
• 🥣 45 ml soy sauce (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🥣 15 ml dark soy sauce, optional for color (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🍯 10 ml sugar syrup or honey (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lime juice (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 💧 60 ml water (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🌽 6 g cornstarch (2 tsp / 0.2 oz)
• Finish
• 🌿 25 g Thai basil leaves (2 packed cups / 0.9 oz)
• 🧅 60 g scallions, sliced, optional (1 cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🍚 450 g cooked jasmine rice, to serve, optional (3 cups / 1 lb)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Press and dry the tofu
2. Press tofu 10 min, pat very dry so it browns instead of steaming. 🧻
3. 2️⃣ Sear until crisp
4. Heat a large skillet on medium high, add 20 ml (4 tsp / 0.7 fl oz) oil, sear tofu 7–8 min total until golden on multiple sides, transfer to a plate. 🔥
5. 3️⃣ Mix the sauce
6. Whisk soy sauce, optional dark soy, syrup or honey, lime juice, water, and cornstarch until smooth. 🥣
7. 4️⃣ Fry the aromatics
8. Add remaining 10 ml (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz) oil, add garlic and chilies, stir 20–30 sec until fragrant, not browned. 🌶️
9. 5️⃣ Add onion
10. Add onion and stir fry 2 min until just softened but still crisp at the edges. 🧅
11. 6️⃣ Gloss the stir fry
12. Pour in the sauce and simmer 30–45 sec until it turns glossy. ✨
13. 7️⃣ Return tofu
14. Add tofu back in and toss 45 sec so every cube gets coated. 🧊
15. 8️⃣ Finish with basil
16. Turn off heat, add Thai basil and optional scallions, toss 10–15 sec until just wilted and aromatic. 🌿

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 12 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 12 min
🛋️ Rest: 0 min
⏰ Total: 24 min

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