Pad See Eew is probably the most popular stir fry rice noodles eaten inside Thailand. While Pad Thai is known and loved around the world, Pad See Ew is what locals would vote for.
Pad See Ew directly translates to soy sauce stir fry. It is a rice noodle fried in a wok over the blazing fire with a selection of protein and dark soy sauce that gives it a distinct deep colour.
Pad See Ew is often sold together with its saucy alternative, Rad Na. I was inspired to make Pad See Ew at home when I had the beef chow fun from my favourite Cantonese restaurants. They’ve got similar vibes, just a few different ingredients.
Pad See Ew key points 🔑
Step 1: Pad See Ew Prep
The Thai version of the wide, flat, rice noodles is typically thinner than the Chinese ho fun noodles which gives a slightly different texture. Most Thai restaurants in the UK, from what I saw, actually use ho fun. So I think it’s fine to replace a type of rice noodle you can source.
I’d recommend marinating the meat overnight before you cook it. Not only that this flavour the meat but also tenderises it. Pick your preferred choice of protein whether it be pork or chicken, the recipe works with either.
Step 2: Hot Wok 🔥
I learned this trick from watching one of the Thai chefs make Pad See Ew, and it was the best discovery! In a HOT WOK, I can not emphasise enough how important it is that you wait until your wok is smoking hot before you start cooking.
So yes, in a HOT WOK, drizzle the vegetable oil over and swirl it around the wok so that it coats the surface. Then sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar into the wok, you’ll see it start caramelising. This step provides a nice burnt caramel aroma to the dish. Now set the noodles aside then add the oil and meat, and the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3: Soy Sauces
Pad See Ew means soy sauce stir fry, so using the right selection of soy sauces will set you up for a successful dish. In this recipe, the most important ones are the dark soy sauce (for colour) and sweet dark soy (for colour and sweet flavour). I know that choosing which soy sauces to buy could be jarring so I’ve put together a quick round-up of the 5 soy sauces you need in Thai cooking.
Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว)
Ingredients
- 400 g ho fun noodles fresh ones sold in the fridge, cut into 1 inch width
- 50 g broccoli spears
- 2 medium eggs
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp sweet, dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce or mushroom sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
Pork marinade
- 200 g pork loin or preferred choice of protein
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp baking powder optional, it helps tenderises the meat
- 1 tsp cooking oil
Instructions
Prep
- Slice the pork loin into thin slices, add the meat marinade seasonings and leave to marinade for at least 20 minutes.
- Cut the broccoli spears into 1-inch length pieces. Blanch the broccoli spears in salted boiling water for about 1 minute. Set it aside.
Frying Pad See Ew
- In a hot wok, drizzle about 2 tbsp of cooking oil and swirl it around so that it coats the wok. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar and let it caramelise for about 30 seconds.
- When you can see the sugar turns brown, add the cut ho fun noodle and toss it around the wok to avoid it sticking for about 1-2 minutes until it starts to soften and gain colour. Take it out of the work and set aside.
- Bring the wok back up to temperature, then add the remaining oil (about 2 tbsp). Add the pork and chopped garlic. Frying the pork until it's cooked, this should take between 3-5 minutes depending on the temperature of the wok.
- Add the noodles that we've fried earlier into the pan, then season with sweet dark soy, light soy, oyster sauce and remaining sugar. Stir it around so that the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Push the noodles to one side of the work and break the 2 eggs into the other side of the wok. When the eggs starts to cook, toss them together.
- Add the blanched broccoli. Toss it around so the sauce gets coated. Serve hot.
Make it yours
I develop this recipe with the ingredients that are available in the UK in mind so I’ve also used ho fun instead. Also substituting Chinese broccoli with tender stem broccoli instead. So hopefully you all can enjoy making this at home without much hassle of sourcing the ingredients. The technique of caramelising the sugar with the noodles also adds an interesting element to it. Don’t forget to share your creations with me in the comments below or tag in on my Instagram page. Enjoy! 💛
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