Real Vegetarian Pad Thai

Bring a pot of water to a boil and switch off heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 4-6 minutes, or until limp but still too firm to eat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles must be under-cooked at this stage in order to come out right (they will finish cooking later when they are stir-fried).

Combine 'pad Thai sauce' ingredients in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the paste and sugar (note that if your tamarind paste is thick, only add 1 Tbsp. If thin/runny, add 1.5 Tbsp). Note that this sauce should have a very STRONG-tasting flavor that tastes sour-sweet first, followed by salty and spicy. Set aside.

Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the white parts of the green onion (reserve the rest for serving), garlic, galangal/ginger, and chili. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.

Add the bok choy plus stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.

Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the egg (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble.

If pan is dry, push ingredients aside and add a little more oil to the middle. Add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together 1-2 minutes using 2 utensils and a gently tossing motion (like tossing a salad). Keep heat between medium-high and high, reducing if noodles begin to stick or burn. Keep adding sauce and continue stir-frying in this way 3-6 more minutes, or until sauce is gone and noodles are soft but still chewy ('al dente') and a little sticky.

Switch off heat and add the bean sprouts, folding them into the hot noodles. Taste-test, adding more soy sauce for more salt/flavor. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a good squeeze of lime juice. If too sour, sprinkle over a little more sugar.

To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved green onion, coriander, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and enjoy!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).

*If using soft tofu instead of egg: Add it when you add the last of the pad Thai sauce. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as egg would.