Brace yourself. Here come another two weird Asian ingredients that you will either love or hate:
- Mung bean sprouts
- Tofu puffs
How does that sound? Good or bad? I say good. Let’s talk a little bit about these ingredients, shall we?
The Mung Bean Sprouts
I’ve come across so many people in life who hate bean sprouts with a passion. In Thailand we use mung bean sprouts in our stir-fried noodles and noodle soups a lot. People who hate mung bean sprouts will order anything that normally comes with them without them. And if they ever see one accidental white strand in their food, many of them will go as far as returning it.
It’s certainly not their fault if they have specifically said they don’t want bean sprouts. Besides, I know that mung bean sprouts have this smell that you either love or hate. If you’ve never tried them, I suggest you try and see for yourself. 🙂
The Tofu Puffs
For as long as I can remember, my mother has always made bean sprout stir-fry with tofu puffs. I’m sure some people use pork and it’s fine, but I enjoy it more with tofu than meat. There are MANY types of tofu, and again you can use any type you want. I don’t recommend anything soft, though, as it will break when you stir.
Personally, I like to use tofu puffs because it has a fun, chewy texture. Also, there are a lot of air pockets in it, which means it will absorb the liquid in the stir-fry and won’t taste bland. At most local Thai markets, you can get tofu puffs in strings. Those tofu squares you see in the picture above are from just a string and as cheap as 25 baht. Yes, all of that! As they normally hang these tofu strings out in the air, I recommend soaking the tofu and squeezing the water out a few times before use for hygienic reasons.
Here’s another important question. What can you enjoy mung bean sprout stir-fry with?
Rice – As simple as that. We eat most Thai dishes with rice. Although you can just have stir-fried mung bean sprouts with rice, I think most of us usually have another dish that’s a bit more flavorful in the same meal. This could be a curry or a spicy Thai salad. Just to balance things out, you know.
Plain congee – Mung bean sprout stir-fry is great with plain congee (or kao tom in Thai). When we have plain congee, we don’t ever have it with one side dish. In other words, we go big, we don’t go home! The mung bean sprout stir-fry is more of a high-fiber side, and you might also have things like the Thai egg salad and Thai garlic pork to eat the congee with as well.
So, I hope you’ve learned a bit more about how we make and enjoy this quick and easy mung bean sprout stir-fry in Thailand. If you’re a fan of mung bean sprouts, give this recipe a try. You’ll love it!
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Thai Stir-Fried Morning Glory | Pad Pak Boong
4-Ingredient Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage – Vegan and Healthy
Eggplant Stir-Fried with Thai Basil Leaves & Salted Soy Beans
Keto-Friendly Stir Fried Yardlong Beans with Bacon
PrintBean Sprouts Stir-Fried with Tofu Puffs Recipe
A quick and easy bean sprout stir-fry with tofu puffs. Packed with fiber and protein. Great with rice or plain congee!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon smashed garlic
- 280 grams bean sprouts
- 1 cup tofu puffs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 green onions, cut into 3-cm pieces
Instructions
- Fry the garlic in oil over medium heat. There’s no need to wait for the oil to be hot or the garlic will burn.
- Add mung bean sprouts, tofu and water.
- Season with soy sauce and stir. Turn off the heat.
- Add green onions and stir a few times. Serve immediately with rice or plain congee.
Keywords: mung bean sprouts, stir-fry, tofu, vegetarian
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28 Comments
Fai
June 19, 2019 at 7:10 pmThis is wonderful
★★★★
nart
July 4, 2019 at 7:24 pmThank you!
Christy Boston
October 2, 2019 at 1:58 amI love tofu! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 4:42 pmAwesome! I hope you like it 🙂
Raquel
October 2, 2019 at 2:07 amThanks for sharing! I’m always looking for a new way to make tofu!
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 4:43 pmYou’re welcome! I hope you like it.
Angela
October 2, 2019 at 3:38 amthe fried tofu looks dreamy , I would probably keep popping those little babies in my mouth before I could get them in this recipe –
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 4:43 pmI know, right? 😀
Erika
October 2, 2019 at 3:50 amThis dish looks beautiful! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:04 pmThanks, Erika!
Harriet
October 2, 2019 at 4:55 pmLike you, I love fried tofu because of its chew texture, it goes will in many dishes.
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:05 pmExactly!
Katy LV
October 2, 2019 at 6:30 pmI’ve never tried the two together before – so thank you!
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:05 pmYou’re welcome!
Jacqueline Debono
October 2, 2019 at 10:31 pmI have never cooked with mung bean sprouts or tofu but this stir fry has inspired me to try them both!
★★★★★
Nart
January 13, 2020 at 1:28 pmThat’s great! Hope you get to try it, Jacqueline!
Beth
October 3, 2019 at 9:54 amI like mung bean sprouts and have actually tried to grow them, but they usually get too much light and come out short and green instead of long and white. Tofu is ok, but I have never seen it on a string! How clever. This looks like a really simple dish, good for a quick lunch.
★★★★★
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:10 pmI’ve never had much success growing bean sprouts either! If you like them, I think you’re gonna like this dish!
Simone
October 3, 2019 at 2:38 pmI have a vegan friend that I’m going to pass this recipe on to… I just know she’ll love it!
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:11 pmAw, that is great, Simone. Thank you so much – I hope she likes it!
Shari L Eckstrom
October 3, 2019 at 8:12 pmYour photos are always so beautiful. I can almost taste the your dish just by looking at it. Yum!
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:11 pmThank you so much, Shari! So happy to hear that 🙂
Lathiya
October 4, 2019 at 3:07 amI love mung bean sprouts and this is really a great idea to use it. The stir fry looks awesome.
★★★★★
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:12 pmThanks so much friend!
Sonila
October 4, 2019 at 5:19 amI have never tried this dish before but it looks delicious, The stir fried bean sprouts look amazing. You give such clear directions on how to cook this, otherwise I would be hesitant to try since it is not my field of expertise. Thank you:)
★★★★★
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:15 pmYou’re welcome, Sonila!
Angela Greven | Mean Green Chef
October 8, 2019 at 12:15 amNart, you seriously have some of the most beautiful dishes that I love perusing. This is no exception, so simple, flavorful and bright! Thanks so much for sharing another great dish!
★★★★★
Nart
November 10, 2019 at 5:16 pmAw, thanks so much Angela! I hope you get to try this one!