When I first went to Thailand, one of the places I regularly hung out was at the street stalls scoffing my face with all the amazing street food that was on offer. From pad thai to roti banana pancakes and tom yum soup, I couldn’t get enough of it all. And one of my favourite dishes that I ate a lot was pad see ew. White rice noodles slathered in a soy sauce, it has more Chinese influences than Thai, which is probably why I love them so much.
What is pad see ew?
The name pad see ew literally translates as fried soy sauce. While pad thai is much more tangy and spicy, this pad see ew recipe is sweeter and really delicious. Traditionally made with beef, you can really make it with whatever protein you have to hand at home. It works with chicken, too, as well as prawns. You can also add egg, so it becomes scrambled while you’re stir-frying.
In this pad see ew I was having a veggie day, so decided to use chunks of firm tofu, which I think is a great alternative if you’re looking to go meat-free. The soy sauce is so good, it means the tofu doesn’t taste bland or boring in any way. The sauce also coats the rice stick noodles really well, so it makes this dish really moreish.
How to make this pad see ew recipe
I love stir fry noodles. And this pad see ew recipe is super quick, easy and healthy. I like to use Chinese broccoli which is what authentic pad see ew has. But I couldn’t get to the Asian supermarket, so I used tenderstem broccoli here – which works just as well. Just make sure you cut them into small bite-sized pieces.
This recipe is so quick. It’s just a case of prepping the noodles, I usually put them in a large bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover them. Then I place a tea towel over them for five minutes, before draining them in a colander ready to use. Chop the garlic, and the broccoli, before mixing all the wet ingredients together in a bowl – the oyster sauce, Sriracha, soy, fish sauce and water.
Once everything is ready, heat a large wok or pot with the vegetable oil and add the finely diced garlic, and quickly stir it through the hot oil. Then add the tofu and cook until the outside begins to start browning. Then add the broccoli. Finally, it’s time to add the sauce and the noodles. It’s easier to cook the noodles if you add them in small handfuls at a time – this way they all get a lovely coating of the sauce. Keep mixing all the ingredients together well, for a further minute. You can add a little more water if you think your pad see ew needs it. Serve immediately and garnish with some spring onions, chilli sauce if you want and a squeeze of lime.
Where can I get the rice noodles from?
Ideally, you want large flat white rice noodles, but unless you’re close to an Asian supermarket, they are harder to find. So you can use pad thai noodles which are available in supermarkets or these white rice stick noodles that you can get online here.
Is this a vegan option?
Absolutely. Had I used Hoisin sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce (made from oyster mushrooms instead of oyster extract) then this would have been a vegan pad see ew.
How to store pad see ew
You can pop this pad see ew in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for a few days. Heat up in the microwave on a high heat for around 3-4 minutes before eating. Alternatively, you can also put your pad see ew in a suitable freezer container and store it for up to two months. Make sure to thaw thoroughly before cooking.
Pad see ew (Thai stir fry noodles)
Ingredients
- 300 g dried wide rice stick noodles
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce use Hoisin sauce if you can't get vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce (omit if you're vegetarian or vegan)
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 300 g of firm tofu cut into cubes
- 200 g tenderstem broccoli or Chinese broccoli cut into 1cm pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to the packet directions. I like to put the noodles into a large bowl and pour over boiling water until the noodles soften. Drain after five minutes. The noodles will cook further.
- In a bowl mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce/hoisin sauce, Sriacha and fish sauce and water together. Put to one side.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat.
- Add garlic, cook for 10 seconds, then add the tofu and cook until they start browning on the outside.
- Then add the broccoli and continue to cook for a minute or two.
- Add the sauce and then the noodles, a handful at a time and keep stirring through, making sure to coat all the ingredients in the sauce. Continue to stir through and then serve immediately.
- Garnish with some chopped spring onions and extra chilli sauce if you would like some. I also like to squeeze some lime juice over the noodles, too.
