Thai food recipes: Pad see ew (stir-fried noodles in soy sauce)

A simple but satisfying dish, pad see ew is popular with Thais and non-Thais alike. Adding a dash of chilli vinegar (prik nam som) to your meal gives it some zing, but this is a non-spicy noodle dish. You can find pad see ew on the menu at most food courts and small restaurants in Thailand where it is usually eaten individually as a one-plate dish rather than as part of a shared meal.

Like several other Thai dishes, pad see ew was brought to Thailand by Chinese immigrants. The full name is kuay tiao pad see ew (kuay tiao = noodles; pad = stir-fry; see ew = soy sauce), but it is known throughout Thailand by the shortened name, pad see ew.

Although pad see ew is relatively easy to make, using the right sauce and knowing how to get that tasty charred smoky flavour is what can make or break the dish. This recipe for an authentic pad see ew comes from Thai cook Pailin Chongchitnant at Hot Thai Kitchen.

Pad see ew recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Pailin’s top tips

Khun Pailin recommends making one serving at a time, so you may want to split the ingredients in half when doing your prep. However, all the meat/protein can be cooked in one batch. Cooking one portion of noodles at a time maximises noodle char and prevents mushy, broken noodles. If you watch food vendors in Thailand, this is how they do it.

Wok hei translates as the ‘breath of the wok’. Wok hei gives pad see ew that smoky flavour To achieve this, you should use a carbon steel wok on a very high heat. This allows the noodles to char and the oil to smoke. It’s also important not to crowd the pan.

See more of Pailin’s advice for this recipe here.

Ingredients

• 1lb (450g) fresh wide rice noodles 
• 170g (6oz) thinly slice protein of your choice. Pork is the most commonly used for pad see ew in Thailand, but you can also use beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu.
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce for marinating meat (not needed if using shrimp or tofu) 
• 3-4 Tbsp (45-60 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 2 eggs
• 4-6 stalks (150 g) of Chinese broccoli (aka gai lan). Smaller stalks are more tender and less bitter. If you cannot find gai lan, broccoli can be used as a substitute. 
• 4 tsp granulated sugar (white or brown)
• Ground white pepper, to taste
• Prik nam som (Thai chilli vinegar)

Prik nam som
You can make your own prik nam som by adding sliced Thai chillies or jalapeños to white vinegar. Let the chillies sit in the white vinegar for at least 15 minutes before using. Alternatively, you can blend the chillies and the vinegar.

Pad see ew sauce

When making the sauce, Pailin recommends measuring ingredients properly and not guesstimating. 

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tsp (10 ml) Thai black soy sauce or dark soy sauce
• 1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) fish sauce
• 1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) Golden Mountain sauce (can use Maggi sauce or soy sauce as a substitute)

Method

• Mix the meat and 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of soy sauce. Then add 2 tsp (10 ml) of oil and stir to coat the meat (the oil will help the meat separate more easily in the wok). 
• Separate the noodles into individual portions: 8 oz (225 g) per portion.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients and stir to mix well. Divide the sauce evenly into individual portions. Each portion is 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (35 ml).
• Heat 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the oil in a wok or a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat. When hot, add all of the protein and toss until fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
• From this step onward it’s best to cook one portion at a time.
• Add 1½ Tbsp (22 ml) oil and the garlic to the wok and sauté over medium-high heat until the smallest bits of garlic start to turn colour.
• Add the egg, break the yolk and let it set to about halfway, then scramble briefly.
• Add the Chinese broccoli and toss to coat it in the oil (approximately 10–15 seconds).
• Add 1 portion of rice noodles, 1 portion of the sauce mixture, and 2 tsp of sugar. Turn the heat up to high and toss to coat the noodles evenly in the sauce.  Push the noodles to prevent them from breaking.
• Once the noodles are coated, spread them out to cover the entire pan. Let the noodles sit without stirring for 15-30 seconds until some of them have charred. Flip or toss the noodles and let them sit again to char the other side. If you like, you can flip the noodles again a couple more times to get more toasting. 
• Add 1 portion of the cooked protein back into the pan (without adding any meat juices that have accumulated) and toss briefly to mix. Turn off the heat.
• Plate the noodles, then quickly wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and cook the next serving.
• Serve with ground white pepper and chilli vinegar.

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