“Pad See-Ew with chicken.”
That’s my order when I go for Thai food. Every time. I don’t deviate.
I knew that “Pad” means stir-fried, but I had to look up “see-ew.” Looks like it means “soy sauce”! That must be why I like it. Stir-fried soy sauce.
Well, some other things too.
When you order Pad See-Ew at a Thai restaurant, it is made with very wide fresh rice noodles. Like more than an inch wide. Which, while very carby – I mean, probably because they are very carby – are so chewy and delicious. But they are hard to come by in any mainstream market. I have found wide rice noodles (frozen) in an Asian market, but there aren’t any convenient to my home and I don’t love having to do specialty trips.
I totally don’t mind using rice noodle sticks. You can find them in your grocery store’s international aisle. Grab them as thick as you can – the thinner vermicelli-style variety may not hold up well to being stir-fried.
When you order this dish in a Thai restaurant, it usually comes with Chinese broccoli. I do like Chinese broccoli – but don’t be fooled, it’s a totally different vegetable than “regular” broccoli. It’s honestly closer to kale or another bitter leafy, stalky green. It’s also not generally in every grocery store.
And you only get a few little pieces with your order; “extra broccoli” is another couple bucks. Which is one more reason I like to make this at home. I can add in as much green as I want, to make the normally-heavy dish have a higher nutritional value.
This is quick recipe, and a great one to bring to work for lunch. Start to finish about 20 minutes: check. One microwave-ready container that contains your protein and veggies: check.
- rice stick noodles (quantity to your liking - read the package for serving size)
- 1 chicken breast, sliced into very thin strips
- one broccoli crown, cut into florets and long strips
- 1 T low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 t dark soy sauce
- 2 eggs, or 1 egg + 2 egg whites
- .5 t sugar
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package's directions. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or sauce pan (I use non-stick for this dish) over medium-high heat.
- Add a bit of olive oil and heat the oil, swirling it around the pan when it's hot.
- Add half of the chicken in a single layer, flipping it when it browns. It should be sliced so thin that you don't have to worry about it being cooked in the middle.
- Remove to a plate when browned on both sides, and repeat with the second batch.
- Remove and add to the plate, and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil and let it heat; add the broccoli and cook only until the broccoli just turns bright green. You will be cooking it more in a minute, and you don't wait to overcook the broccoli!
- Remove the broccoli to the chicken plate.
- Add the noodles to the pan, and add both soy sauces. Stir well.
- Push the noodles to the edges of the pan, leaving a circle exposed in the middle.
- Add the egg to the middle. Wait until the bottom of the egg cooks through and turns opaque, and then start to slowly stir the egg, to scramble it, keeping it in the middle circle. As it cooks, stir in slightly bigger circles, mixing in the noodles once the egg is almost cooked through. {You are trying to avoid pushing raw egg all over the pan and getting it entangled in noodles.}
- Add the chicken and broccoli back in, along with any juices that accumulated. Stir to evenly distribute.
- Sprinkle with the sugar, and stir again until the dish is heated through!
Inspired by: http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/pad-see-ew
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