Pad Thai

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Break or tear the kombu into 1-inch pieces and put them into a small cup; add the tamari and press down a few times with the back of a teaspoon to submerge the kombu. When the water boils, add the noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re barely tender, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse both the pot and the noodles under cold tap water until cool; return the noodles to the pot with enough cold water to cover and let sit.

Rinse and trim the cabbage and slice the leaves crosswise into ribbons. Rinse the basil, chiles, and bell pepper. Chop the basil and peanuts. Seed and mince 1 chile; reserve. Seed and chop the other chile with the garlic. Peel and slice the onion; core, seed, and slice the bell pepper.

Remove the kombu from the tamari and discard it; stir in the sugar and vinegar. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat; when it’s hot, add the oil, the garlic and chile mixture, and the onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain the tofu and add it to the pan with a teaspoon or 2 of the tamari mixture. Cook, stirring almost constantly to break up the tofu, until it’s browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain the noodles well. Add the noodles and bell pepper to the pan, sprinkle with salt, and add all but a little of the remaining sauce. Cook, tossing everything together with a spatula and separating the noodles, until the noodles are coated and beginning to char a little, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and 1/4 cup water and let them steam for 1 minute. Toss in the basil, peanuts, and some or all of the reserved chile (depending on your affinity for heat). Taste, adjust the seasoning, adding salt or the remaining sauce if you’d like, and serve.