Pad Thai Stir-Fry
Pad thai is a popular street dish in Thailand that features noodles tossed in a spicy sauce with crushed peanuts. I rarely have the exotic ingredients required to make an authentic version of this dish at home, so I developed this recipe, which uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. To save time, prep your vegetables while the pasta is cooking.
Servings Prep Time
4servings 5minutes
Cook Time
17minutes
Servings Prep Time
4servings 5minutes
Cook Time
17minutes
Ingredients
  • 4ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 4cups Water
  • 1/4cup all-natural peanut butter or almond butter
  • 5tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1/4cup pure maple syrup
  • 2tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1tbsp sriracha
  • 1tsp minced fresh ginger(about 1/2-inch knob)
  • 1clove garlicminced
  • 1/2 head green or red cabbageshredded (about 4 cups)
  • 1large carrotshredded
  • 1 red bell pepperseeded and chopped
  • 2cups snow peas
  • 3 green onionstender white and green parts only, chopped
  • chopped fresh cilantrofor garnish
  • Chopped peanuts or almondsfor garnish
Instructions
  1. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange them in the Instant Pot in a crisscross manner to help avoid clumping. Pour the water over the noodles. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook to cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, in a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, Sriracha, ginger, and garlic and set aside.
  2. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
  3. When the floating valve drops, press Cancel and remove the lid. Drain the noodles through a colander, rinsing them with cold water to remove some starch and stop the cooking process. Rinse and dry the metal insert and return it to the Instant Pot.
  4. Press Sauté and pour the peanut sauce into the pot. Add the cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and snow peas and stir well. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained noodles and the green onions just until everything is heated through. (If the noodles stick together, rinse them again under cold water to unstick them before adding.)
  5. Serve the pad thai warm, with the cilantro and peanuts sprinkled over the top. This dish is best served right away, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. Use the Instant Pot’s sauté function to reheat, or serve the leftovers cold.
Recipe Notes

MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE Use tamari instead of soy sauce and replace the whole-wheat pasta with a gluten-free alternative, like brown rice spaghetti. Cook on high pressure for 0 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 8 minutes before draining.