Pad See Ew (which means Stir Fried Soy Sauce noodles) is one of the most popular Thai street foods. Traditionally made with Sen Yai which are wide, thin rice noodles which are not that easy to come by. So use dried rice noodles instead - I've eaten enough Pad See Ew at Thai restaurants to assure you that there is no compromise on flavor!
Servings: 2 meals
NOODLES
200g / 7 oz - dried wide rice stick noodles (like pad thai noodles) , or 15 oz / 450g fresh wide flat rice noodles (Sen Yai) which is the traditional way to make it but only avail in Thai Grocery stores at best
SAUCE
2 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 2)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, Note 3)
2 tsp white vinegar (plain white vinegar)
2 tsp sugar (any type)
2 tbsp water
STIR FRY
3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil , separated
2 cloves garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 cup / 150g / 5oz chicken thighs (boneless, skinless), sliced (Note 4)
1 large egg
4 stems Chinese broccoli (Note 5)
Chinese Broccoli - trim ends, cut into 7.5cm/3" pieces. Separate leaves from stems. Cut thick stems in half vertically so they're no wider than 0.8cm / 0.3" thick.
Noodles - Prepare according to packet directions and drain. Time it so they're cooked just before using - do not leave cooked rice noodles lying around, they break in the wok.
Sauce - Mix ingredients until sugar dissolves.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a very large heavy based skillet or wok over high heat.
Add garlic, cook 15 seconds. Add chicken, cook until it mostly changes from pink to white.
Add Chinese broccoli stems, cook until chicken is almost cooked through.
Add Chinese broccoli leaves, cook until just wilted.
Push everything to one side, crack egg in and scramble. Remove everything onto a plate (scrape wok clean).
Return wok to stove, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat.
Add noodles and Sauce. Toss as few times as possible to disperse Sauce and make edges of noodles caramelise.
Quickly add chicken and veg back in, and toss to disperse. Serve immediately!
1. Noodles - Pad See Ew is traditionally made with Sen Yai fresh rice noodles which are wide, flat rice noodles. These are hard to handle and quite difficult to find, even at Asian grocery stores - you need to go to a Thai grocery store.
Easiest to use wide, dried rice stick noodles. I use Pad Thai noodles, the widest you can find at supermarkets.
Fresh rice noodle - Feel free to use, follow the directions in Char Kway Teow to prepare the rice noodles for cooking.
Other noodles - can be made with other noodles, fresh or dried, rice or egg noodles. However, I do not recommend using vermicelli as it is too thin for the strong flavours of the sauce.
2. Dark soy sauce has a stronger flavour than ordinary and light soy sauce, and stains the noodles brown. Can sub with ordinary soy, but noodles won't be as dark and flavour will be slightly less strong.
3. Normal soy sauce - I use Kikkoman. Or use light soy sauce.
4. Chicken - You can substitute the chicken with other proteins suitable for stir frying, even tofu or prawns.
5. Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan, kai lan)If you can't find Chinese broccoli, you can substitute with other leafy Chinese vegetables such as pak choy or bok choy. Or use broccolini - cut them in half lengthwise.