Easy, delicious and quick basil tofu rice noodles. Vegan, gluten free and so simple to make, these rice noodles are coated in the best ever asian style sweet and spicy sauce tossed in lots of fresh basil, garlic & crispy strips of pan fried tofu.
My favorite asian style rice noodles recipe of all time, probably something I am going to love more than the most-loved rice noodle recipe on the blog: 10-minute peanut sauce rice noodles, for reasons that are very valid and also super-obvious: This recipe for basil tofu rice noodles is quick, easy, delicious and ready in less than 30 minutes, which makes it so perfect for a quick vegan dinner or lunch recipe made with the simplest ingredients. These amazing luscious rice noodles are coated in the easiest 5-ingredient sauce that is garlicky, sweet and spicy- more than anything: its absolutely lip-smacking and addictive! Almost like vegetarian version of drunken noodles, without any fish sauce and oyster sauce. Nothing I would like more than a comforting bowl of noodles right now!
Another brilliant reason to make this recipe? These crunchy bits of tofu! I can not believe I never cooked tofu like this before. If you follow my blog, you know that I love cooking tofu in the oven, by baking it until very crispy. You can cook tofu however you like - either bake tofu chunks, or simply pan fry them - or please, pretty please, try this magical way of pan frying bigger chunks/ block or tofu and then cutting it into strips.
There is a reason why I loved cooking tofu by this method- pan frying bigger chunks or block of tofu and then cutting it into strips, gives you best of both worlds: you get crunchy crispy edges AND also the soft chewy texture of the tofu (that remains uncooked or under-cooked) so SO good.
How to make basil tofu rice noodles?
Before I share with you this unbelievably easy recipe for vegetarian basil tofu rice noodles, let me share with you the top secret tip to nail the recipe! All of the magic lies in the delicious sauce and the crispy tofu strips, but your recipe is ruined, if you do not cook your rice noodles perfectly. I get asked very often, what brand of rice noodles I use in India - this the brand that I like.
To make amazing rice noodle recipes, it is important that you cook the noodles perfectly. Just like how pasta is perfect when its al dente, rice noodles are super sensitive and get mushy when boiled and you dont want them to be under cooked too. So the best way to cook rice noodles is to soak them in hot water for 15 minutes like this:
How to cook rice noodles?
You obviously need to follow package instructions, but the trick that works best for me is to measure and transfer rice noodle sticks to a rectangular dish. Then pour hot boiling water and let the noodles soften up. While the noodles are "cooking", prepare the remaining recipe (sauce, veggies, whatever...) and then add the soft semi-cooked noodles to the wok - the noodles will continue to cook as you add sauce to them.
To make basil tofu rice noodles, start by cooking your tofu. If you're a tofu-beginner, click here to read an entire blog post about how to prep your tofu before cooking - washing, drying and getting rid of any excess moisture. Use firm tofu for the recipe. You can either bake tofu chunks , or cook them pan-fried method in chunks or bigger blocks like I am doing in this recipe.
To pan fry tofu, cut the tofu block (that rid of all the moisture) into 4 rectangles. Now heat some oil in a pan and cook the tofu blocks on both sides. Once your tofu is cooked and has that crispy crunchy exterior, cut the tofu blocks into strips or smaller chunks. What you get is delicious tofu bites that have crispy edges and soft, chewy center.
Now you have your tofu cooked and prepped and you have your noodles already soaking in hot water - softening up to added to the sauce. Simply heat some oil, add garlic, cook for a few seconds and add the tofu strips. Add your sauce (vegetable stock, light & dark low-sodium soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, or any hot sauce and a little bit of sesame oil), add basil leaves, soaked and softened up rice noodles.
Now the sauce may look like a lot - thats one full cup of vegetable stock mixed with delicious Asian sauces, but thats the amount you need for the rice noodles to completely soak up those delicious flavors.
Once those whole (fresh) basil leaves or Thai or holy Thai basil leaves hit the warm noodles and the hot sauce, they will wilt eventually and what you get is rice noodles coated in a luscious, glossy brownish-red sauce with lots of basil, that takes the entire fragrance level of these Thai basil noodles to another level making them taste so fresh.
Finish it off with a generous sprinkle of scallions (spring onions) or sesame seeds and enjoy on a busy week night or a delicious lunch to carry to work.
Possible questions/ variations
How do I re-heat cooked rice noodles? I usually re-heat leftover rice noodles in the microwave. Simply add 2-3 tbsp of water per serving over the noodles and then microwave for 1-2 minutes. Serve.
How can I prevent rice noodles from sticking? The magic trick that works for me to prevent the noodles from sticking is to not boil the noodles, rather cook them by soaking the rice noodle sticks in hot water for 15 minutes and then adding directly to the pan WITHOUT DRAINING. When drained and left, they will start to stick.
Where can I buy rice noodles in India? This is the brand of rice noodle stick that I use and absolutely love (not sponsored!). You can find them at FoodHall stores, INA market or all good super markets including Modern Bazar.
Where can I buy vegetable stock in India? Vegetable stock cubes are different from Maggi-Masala Maker/Cubes that you use for Indian curries. This is the stock cube that I use. You can find them at FoodHall stores, INA market or all good super markets including Modern Bazar
Basil Tofu Rice Noodles
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy, delicious and quick basil tofu rice noodles. Vegan, gluten free and so simple to make, these rice noodles are coated in the best ever asian style sweet and spicy sauce tossed in lots of fresh basil, garlic & crispy strips of pan fried tofu.
Ingredients
- 300 grams rice noodles
- 2 cups water
- 200 grams tofu
- 2 tbsp oil (vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 cup vegetable stock (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tbsp sugar (regular white caster sugar)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- TOFU: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add tofu blocks (as shown in picture above). Let cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes each side until a crispy brown and golden exterior is formed. Keep aside on kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil. (If you are a tofu-newbie, click here to read how to prepare tofu before cooking and to learn how to get rid of excess moisture from the tofu block)
- RICE NOODLES: Cook the rice noodles by placing them in a long rectangular dish. Add 2 cups of boiled water over the dry rice noodle sticks and let cook/ get soft for about 10-15 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking, cut the pan fried tofu block into small strips. Keep aside.
- SAUCE: Prepare the sauce - to a small bowl, add vegetable stock, soy sauce (dark and light), sugar, sriracha, sesame oil and mix well.
- To a pan, add remaining 1 tbsp of oil and chopped garlic. Let cook for a few seconds and add the tofu strips, softened rice noodles, all of the sauce and basil leaves. Let cook for a few minutes on low flame until all noodles are well coated with the sauce and basil leaves are wilted.
- Transfer hot glossy noodles to serving bowls, add some chopped spring onions and serve.
Notes
VEGETABLE STOCK: If you can not find vegetable stock, simply mix vegetable stock cube with hot water until dissolved. Use 1 cube for every 1 cup of hot water. This is the brand I use in my kitchen to make vegetable stock.
TOFU-NEWBIE: Click here for a detailed blog post on how to prep tofu before cooking.
Keywords: vegan, rice noodles, tofu
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