Tofu Pad Prik King

The fiery cousin to the well-known Pad Thai, this dish is full of flavour, packed with textures and, perhaps most importantly, it takes minutes to cook.

This particular version uses a dollop of peanut butter for creaminess but in general this dish is drier than most other Thai recipes. I've also gone for tofu as the base of the dish as I think it's really underrated - silken smooth on the inside but with a joyously crispy exterior, what's not to love? Of course you could swap it for chicken or prawns, if you like.

Tofu Pad Prik King
Serves 4

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
300g tofu, cut into 2cm squares
4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
200g green beans, trimmed and halved
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
100ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
Large handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ lemon, juice only
cooked brown rice, to serve

Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden on all sides. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Add the curry paste to the wok and fry for 2 minutes until it becomes aromatic. Add the green beans and peppers then fry until the vegetables are tender.

Pour in the vegetable stock and then add the peanut butter, soy sauce and honey. Stir and then simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly.

Add the tofu back to the pan and then add the basil and lemon juice. Stir to combine and then serve with some simple brown rice.