Thai Drunken Noodles / Pad Kee Mao
This is a dish that I almost always order when we eat at a Thai restaurant... I definitely prefer this to pad-thai and love the spicy kick it has with the fragrance of thai basil permeating the entire dish. Even though it is pretty spicy, this is something my daughter loves to eat and it's usually accompanied with a whole lot of hissing and several gulps of water but she still finds it irresistible. We had a restaurant near our home where this dish was made really well but unfortunately they closed a while ago. So, here's my recreation of the dish at home but I didn't have the flat noodles they use but had the rice noodles that they use for pad thais so decided to substitute that instead. Please make sure to get Thai basil.. it lends the authentic flavour to this dish.
THAI DRUNKEN NOODLES - serves 2 to 3
Ingredients:
Rice noodles (dry) - half lb (Half of a packet)
Firm Tofu - half packet (drained and pressed for a few hours atleast)
Carrots - 2, peeled and sliced into thin circles
Beans - about 10 to 12, cut into 1 inch pieces
Broccoli - 1 cup, small florets
Baby bok choy - 1, leaves coarsely chopped and stem sliced into long, thin pieces
Bell peppers (red/green) - half of a big one, sliced into long, thin pieces
Cherry tomatoes - handful, sliced into halves
Thai Basil - about 1 cup, coarsely torn (this is important to get the authentic flavour)
Onion - half of a big one, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Garlic - 6 to 7 cloves, peeled and minced finely
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sauces:
Sambal Olek (Red chilli paste) - 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp
Sriracha - 1 to 2 tbsp (or more to taste)
Maggi Hot and Sweet Sauce - 1 tbsp - this is not authentic but i thought it would lend a slight sweetness
Black pepper powder - half tsp
1) Pan fry tofu and keep aside. Soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes or till softened but still firm
2) Microwave the beans, broccoli and carrot for about 4 to 5 mins (I find that this reduces cooking time significantly). No need to add water, just put them on a microwaveable plate and microwave as is.
3) Heat oil in a wide pan or wok (I used a non-stick skillet), and add the minced garlic, then add the sliced onions and when they soften a bit, add the bell peppers and bok choy stems. Allow this to cook for several minutes.
4) Add the microwaved veggies, tomatoes and the sambal paste and a bit of salt at this stage and saute the whole mixture of a medium high heat for several minutes.
5) Meanwhile toss the softened rice noodles with the soy sauce, sriracha, maggi and black pepper powder until coated evenly.
6) Once the veggies are tender crisp, add the rice noodles and mix thoroughly. Now add the pan fried tofu and thai basil as well and toss them till well coated.
7) Rice noodles are generally more sticky so keep tossing them around constantly. Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
8) To get the toasted, crisp edges like you get in restaurants, I then heat a wide non-stick pan and spread a small amount of noodles and let them cook on a medium flame, turning them over (not tossing) about 5-6 minutes later to get them crisped up a bit. Do this in 2 batches.
9) Serve hot with some wedges of lemon.
THAI DRUNKEN NOODLES - serves 2 to 3
Ingredients:
Rice noodles (dry) - half lb (Half of a packet)
Firm Tofu - half packet (drained and pressed for a few hours atleast)
Carrots - 2, peeled and sliced into thin circles
Beans - about 10 to 12, cut into 1 inch pieces
Broccoli - 1 cup, small florets
Baby bok choy - 1, leaves coarsely chopped and stem sliced into long, thin pieces
Bell peppers (red/green) - half of a big one, sliced into long, thin pieces
Cherry tomatoes - handful, sliced into halves
Thai Basil - about 1 cup, coarsely torn (this is important to get the authentic flavour)
Onion - half of a big one, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Garlic - 6 to 7 cloves, peeled and minced finely
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sauces:
Sambal Olek (Red chilli paste) - 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp
Sriracha - 1 to 2 tbsp (or more to taste)
Maggi Hot and Sweet Sauce - 1 tbsp - this is not authentic but i thought it would lend a slight sweetness
Black pepper powder - half tsp
1) Pan fry tofu and keep aside. Soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes or till softened but still firm
2) Microwave the beans, broccoli and carrot for about 4 to 5 mins (I find that this reduces cooking time significantly). No need to add water, just put them on a microwaveable plate and microwave as is.
3) Heat oil in a wide pan or wok (I used a non-stick skillet), and add the minced garlic, then add the sliced onions and when they soften a bit, add the bell peppers and bok choy stems. Allow this to cook for several minutes.
4) Add the microwaved veggies, tomatoes and the sambal paste and a bit of salt at this stage and saute the whole mixture of a medium high heat for several minutes.
5) Meanwhile toss the softened rice noodles with the soy sauce, sriracha, maggi and black pepper powder until coated evenly.
6) Once the veggies are tender crisp, add the rice noodles and mix thoroughly. Now add the pan fried tofu and thai basil as well and toss them till well coated.
7) Rice noodles are generally more sticky so keep tossing them around constantly. Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
8) To get the toasted, crisp edges like you get in restaurants, I then heat a wide non-stick pan and spread a small amount of noodles and let them cook on a medium flame, turning them over (not tossing) about 5-6 minutes later to get them crisped up a bit. Do this in 2 batches.
9) Serve hot with some wedges of lemon.
Love this drunken noodles..super yummmm!!!
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