Fried beancurd with basil leaf

Sometimes the simplicity of a recipe belies its beautiful flavour. This is one of those dishes.

This is a simple wok stir-fry of soft tofu with red peppers, green beans, and a light soy dressing. It highlights the vegetables and the essence of soft, delicious tofu. It is simple to make when you are in a hurry, but it will make your palate happy.

This is a thin cookbook filled with outstanding vegan recipes. Simple recipes for traditional salads, fried foods, noodles, and curries, like this one, make this my go-to cookbook for vegetarian Thai cuisine. Vatch, as he is known, has published several cookbooks, runs some excellent restaurants around the world, and teaches Thai cooking at his school.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Thai red chillies, sliced thinly

1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper, cut into thin juliennes

6-8 green beans, cut into 1/2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoons sugar

Salt, to taste

8 oz. extra firm beancurd, diced into 1-inch cubes

Thai basil to garnish

Heat the oil on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds until it is lightly golden. Add the chillies, mushrooms, peppers, beans, and wok fry until the vegetables are cooked but not mushy.

Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, and tofu and toss well, coating the vegetables evenly with the soy sauce.

Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves.