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vegan thai mee gati
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Vegan Mee Gati หมี่กะทิ – Thai rice noodles with coconut gravy

This can either be a meal for one person or a snack for two people. Leaving the noodles to rest for a few minutes after you make them ensures they are not wet and sticky. The time helps the noodles to dry out a little so you aren't left with a stodgy mass.
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 180 millilitres coconut milk, divided ¾ US cup. See notes1
  • 30 grams roughly chopped shallots ¼ cup
  • 1 tablespoon tao jeow (fermented soybean paste) See notes2
  • 1 tablespoon thin soy sauce See notes3
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind liquid See notes4
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon toasted chilli powder (prik bon) See notes5
  • Pinch salt
  • 75 grams about ½ cup small diced extra firm tofu
  • 40-50 grams Omnipork mince optional

Noodles

  • 50 grams thin rice vermicelli (sen mee) soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
  • 1 tablespoon red fermented tofu and its liquid See notes6
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 60 millilitres coconut milk ¼ cup
  • 45 millilitres unsalted stock, water, or coconut milk 3 tablespoons
  • ⅓-½ cup bean sprouts
  • 2-3 stems garlic chives cut into 1 inch pieces

For serving

  • 1 slice Lime
  • Extra prik bon, garlic chives, and/or bean sprouts for serving (optional)

Instructions

To make the sauce

  • Add 120 millilitres (½ cup) of the coconut milk to a saucepan or frying pan. Heat to medium for a few minutes, stirring often, until you start to see some oil separating from the milk. If this doesn’t happen carry on anyway. Chuck the shallots and the tao jeow in the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in soy sauce, tamarind liquid, palm sugar, prik bon, and salt. After palm sugar has dissolved (15-20 seconds), add the additional 60 millilitres (¼ cup) coconut milk, tofu, and Omnipork (if using) and. Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Turn off hob and remove pan from heat.

To make the noodles

  • Drain the noodles and snip once or twice with kitchen sheers (optional, but this reduces the chance of flinging noodles across your face and onto your likely nearby cat while eating).
  • Mash the red fermented tofu and liquid together with the tomato paste in a small bowl. Add the coconut milk and water (or stock or more coconut milk, your choice) to a wok or large frying pan. Tip the mash in and stir through. Bring this mixture to the boil. Once it boils, add your drained noodles. Knock the heat back to medium and stir fry the noodles for a few minutes until all of the liquid is soaked up.
  • Once the noodles have absorbed the liquid, add the bean sprouts and garlic chives. Quickly flip through and turn off the heat. Remove wok from heat to a cool surface. Leave the noodles to rest for about 5 minutes.

To serve

  • Reheat the coconut gravy if it’s gone cold. Tip the gravy into a small cup or bowl. Plate the noodles. Set the gravy bowl alongside. Place the lime, extra garlic chives and bean sprouts, and the prik bon around the noodles.
  • Or, if you don’t want the faff of a pretty plate, pour the gravy straight over the noodles, top with the veg, squeeze some lime over, and voilà, dinner is served.

Notes

  1. For coconut milk I use Aroy-D brand. Do not use low fat coconut milk.
  2. You can buy tao jeow in East Asian markets. This is what you're looking for.
  3. Different Asian countries employ different styles of soy sauce. I recommend thin soy sauce for Thai recipes, but failing that you can use what you have to hand.
  4. I recommend you make tamarind water/concentrate yourself rather than buy it premade from supermarkets, but you should use whatever is most convenient to you.
  5. You can buy prik bon from Thai grocers or make it yourself. Failing that, use chilli flakes.
  6. Fermented tofu comes in both red and white varities, and you will find them in any East Asian market. For the red style, look for ceramic containers.