Raw Pad Thai w/ Almond Chile Sauce

You will need a few special ingredients for this dish but if you are a Thai food lover, they will be so worth finding! I am a Thai food fan so I wasn't sure if I would like this version. I not only liked it, I loved it! I know they are not Raw, but I was trying to find some rice paper wraps to roll this mixture in. It would have been a fantastic, on-the-go treat, especially with the almond dipping sauce!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.


Pad Thai Sauce

2 Tbs. tamarind juice*
1-1/2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. nama shoyu or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1-1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1-1/4 tsp. minced serrano chile
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Pad Thai 

1-1/2 cups julienned zucchini
1 cup thinly shredded red cabbage (I just put it through the julienne attachment)
1-1/2 cups julienned carrots
1/2 cup julienned sweet or red onion
1 cup julienned Granny Smith apple, unpeeled
1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
3 cups julienned young Thai coconut meat
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
3 tsp. white sesame oil ( I used toasted because I couldn't find white)

Almond Chile Sauce

1/2 cup raw almond butter
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. nama shoyu or Bragg's
1 Thai finger chile (I couldn't find one so I didn't use)
1/4 cup water, to thin if necessary


Directions

1. Puree tamarind juice, maple syrup, nama shoyu, garlic, minced chile, olive oil and salt in blender until smooth.

2. Prepare vegetables and coconut and place in a large bowl. Add Pad Thai Sauce and toss together to evenly distribute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Toss Cashews together in a small bowl with 1 tsp. of sesame oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To prepare Almond Chile Sauce: Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Add water to thin, if necessary.

5. To serve, arrange some of the Pad Thai in the center of each plate. Spoon some of the Almond Chile Sauce over top then drizzle with some nama shoyu and sesame oil. Sprinkle with chopped cashews.

6. Enjoy! Oh, and try not to eat it all yourself : )

*Note: To make Tamarind juice, soak the pulp, including seeds,in warm water in the ratio of 1 part pulp to 3-1/2 parts water- or 1 Tbs. pulp to 3-1/2 Tbs. warm water. After 15 minutes, squeeze Tamarind pulp to extract liquid. Discard pulp and seeds, and use juice as needed. I found the Tamarind pulp at an ethnic food market. I know they have it at Asian markets as well. It looks like date paste but with seeds. It is definitely worth finding for this dish!

Adapted from Vegetarian Times Magazine.


Nicole