Aubergine, Green Bean and Tofu Pad Krapow

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines (650 g), cut into 2½ cm cubes 
• 300 g fine green beans, tailed 
• 280 g pack of extra-firm tofu, drained 
• 4 banana shallots (250 g), finely sliced 
• 2 cm x 2 cm ginger, grated 
• 7 cloves garlic, crushed 
• 3 bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped 
• 1½  tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons kecap manis* 
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 
• 25 g fresh holy or Thai basil*, leaves picked and torn 
• 1 lime, halved 
• rapeseed oil 
• salt 

To serve

• 1 bird’s-eye chilli, finely sliced 
• cooked jasmine rice 

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F (400°F fan)/gas mark 7 (gas mark 6 fan). 

Tip the aubergine on to a large baking tray (or two) lined with baking paper – make sure the cubes have plenty of room – and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of oil, scatter over a teaspoon of salt, mix and roast for 30 minutes.  

Put the beans on top, stir so that the beans are coated in the oil and roast for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. 

Pat the tofu dry with kitchen paper and cut into 1 cm cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide non-stick frying pan and fry the tofu until crispy and brown all over, then transfer to a plate. 

Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the same pan, then add the shallots, ginger, garlic and chillies and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the shallots are nice and soft. Add the vinegar, kecap manis, soy sauce and sesame oil, stir everything together and cook for 2 minutes.  

Take off the heat and stir in the roasted vegetables, fried tofu and half the basil. 

Squeeze over the lime, scatter with the remaining basil, add a little extra sliced chilli if you wish and serve with jasmine rice. 

*Note: Kecap manis is a sweet, spice-infused soy-based sauce and, like holy basil, can be found in East Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find holy basil, substitute it with Thai basil.