Pad-Kee-WOW (Pad Kee Mao)
Happy Friday everyone! Today I have a dish inspired from my #1 favorite country…Thailand. Living in Thailand was seriously one of the major highlights in my life ( I’ve been back to visit my friends three times since living there if that’s any indication for you). Upon arrival in Thailand, I instantly fell in love with Thai people, the culture, the weather, the scenery annnnddd most importantly, the FOOD! Thai cuisine has an endless assortment of dishes to satiate any palate…from fresh and crisp salads, to tasty fingerfoods, to curries to oodles of noodle dishes.
Most people have heard of Thailand’s signature dish Pad Thai which is (in my opinion) inarguably delicious..but today I want to tell you about a lesser known (and my hands down favorite Thai dish) Pad Kee Mao. What might Pad Kee Mao be you ask? Well…Pad Kee Mao is like Pad Thai on crack…with a similar combo of meat and noodles…but souped up with spicy Thai chiies and plenty of fresh basil! Pad Kee Mao is found in street food stalls across the country and translates to “drunken noodles”. Why? Because this lovely spicy and flavourful dish is considered the hangover cure of choice throughout Thailand! Personally I find the spicy dish is also a great cold remedy when you a feelings a bit under the weather! Enjoy! 🙂
Recipe:
4 Oz of Wide Fresh Rice Noodles ( I’ve tried this dish with dried noodles and it works but the fresh noodles soak up the tasty sauce like a dream! )
2 Chicken Breasts, chopped
1/2 Onion, thinly sliced
Red and Yellow Peppers, finely sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1/2 Cup of Chopped Basil
4 -5 Thai Chilliess, finely chopped (add more or less according to your taste)
Sauce:
1/4 cup of Light Soya Sauce
1/4 of Chicken Stock (or water)
2 Tbsp of Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
2 Teaspoons of Brown Sugar
1. Marinade chicken breast for an hour with a bit of garlic and Soya sauce ( this step is not “necessary” but I find a little marinade always adds in a bit of flavour)
2. Mix together Soya Sauce, Chicken Stock, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Brown Sugar and set aside.
3. Bring a pot of hot water to boil, add the fresh noodles for two minutes. Remove, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Add sesame oil, chopped garlic and Thai Chilies to hot frying pan, stir fry for a minute to release the flavours. Add chicken breast. When Chicken breast is about half-cooked (white on the outside, pink on the inside) add the mixed peppers and stir fry for a minute. Then add in the noodles, sauce and basil. Cook on low heat for a few minutes until sauce has thickened. Add in the bean sprouts and you are ready to serve your easy peasy homemade Thai dish! 🙂
Savoury Travels 