Thai Mango & Coconut Noodle Bowl
There is something magical about the flavours of Thai food. They’re so distinctive, so potent and so tasty (when cooked right!) When travelling around Asia, Thai cuisine held a special place in my heart. Although each country has incredible traditional dishes, they just didn’t marvel with the pad thai or the green curries. It’s safe to say that my Thai vegan cooking class smashed the rest out of the water. Creating those recipes back in England are just not the same however. Maybe it’s the imported ingredients that you just can’t get fresh like you can at the source of it all – or it’s just the fact the weather is crappy here and there are no beautiful beaches to marvel at while slurping a noodle bowl.
Despite all this, I love to delve into Thai cooking every now and then; taking myself back to the Thai Islands. Garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kefir lime and not forgetting the masses of chilli are the perfect concoction for making that fragrant Asian fusion food! The other key feature in this particular cuisine is the good ol’ vegan favourite, coconut! Coconut milk is my pride and joy in many of my recipes, such as: Coconut Supergreens Soup, Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole and Beetroot & Leek Gratin – so nit just for Asian cuisine. Coconut milk is so versatile and is a great for vegan cooking, as it can substitute for dairy milk or double cream! In this recipe, I used my very own homemade coconut milk, which is super easy to make and helps you strive towards a zero waste kitchen!
I hope you’re all excited for Thai recipe after that tasty talk. Just that thought process led me to making this Thai Mango & Coconut Noodle Bowl. I adore using fruit in my savoury food. If you do too, you’re going to love this one! Mango works beautifully with coconut and with Thai spices, as it retains its sweet juicy flavour and mellows out the intense flavours coming from the chilli, garlic, ginger and kefir lime leaves.
Although it all might sound a little too fancy to knock up for dinner, Thai food is notoriously quick and easy! In fact, first time I made this recipe, I had it for breakfast before work… but then again, i’m a little odd to say the least.
Thai food in my eyes is either accompanied with noodles or jasmine rice, but since this is almost like a Thai soup recipe, the rice noodles were my go to! On the note of soup… have you tried this incredible Thai Sweet Potato Soup from a while back? Oh my lord. It’s like eating silk. Yum!
Get slurping up your noodles using you pro chopstick skills! Tell me what you thought of the recipe and show me your creations on Facebook and Instagram!!
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- 4oz vermicelli rice noodles, dried
- 2 knobs of ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1-2 green chillies
- 2 kefir lime leaves
- 2 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari, if GF)
- 1 tbsp coocnut sugar
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ large just-ripe mango, cubed
- 1 cup button or chestnut mushrooms, halved
- 6-7 baby sweetcorns, halved
- 1 broccoli, sliced into florettes
- 1 pak choi, halved
- 2 spring onions, halved
- 1 lime
- First make your paste, Add 1 knob of ginger, the garlic cloves, chillies, kefir lime leaves to a pestle and mortar (or blender if you don't have one) and crush into a paste.
- Mince the other knob of ginger and add to a wok or large saucpan with the shallot and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on med-high.
- Add the green paste and continue to fry for 30 secounds, until frequent.
- Add the soy sauce, coconut sugar and the coconut milk and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat your griddle pan and the other tbsp of sesame oil (turn on your extractor fan! It's ginna get smokey!) Add your mushrooms, sweetcorn, broccoli, pak choi and spring onion and cook for about 2 minutes each side. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. You want you veggies charred, not cooked!
- Plunge your dried noodles into boiling water and stir around for one minute. Drain then add, with the mango, to the simmering coconut milk (once it's been simmering for 15 mins.) Continuing lightly simmering for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Ladel into bowls and evenly divide the veggies and a wedge of lime.
Mmm…mango and coconut mixed with Thai spices – delicious!
My fave combo! <3