Pad See Ew for beginners

It's taken me a year, but here's another installment of the popular "for beginners" series. The first one, Pad Thai for Beginners, is still one of the most popular links on this blog. It's high time I give you another one to link to (and drool over), yes?

This time we are going to do Pad See Ew for beginners. Pad See Ew is another popular item on Thai restaurant menus. The spelling can vary a bit, you may have seen anything from Pad See You to Pad Siew or Pad See Ewe, plus many variations in between. The first syllable is pronounced Paad, with an elongated ah sound, as in Padma, while the last is much the same as when you see something repugnant and go eeeeew.

Pad See Ew, no matter how you say it, means stir-fried with soy sauce. The type of soy sauce used in this recipe is not the Kikkoman variety you find at a sushi bar, but a thick, slightly sweet soy sauce called See Ew Dum in Thai, or Kicap Manis in Malay and Indonesian cooking. You can get it at most Asian supermarket. (If you really couldn't find it, you can add a little sugar to regular soy sauce and heat until thickened to the consistency of maple syrup, or so I've been told.)

The fundamentals of the cooking here are really not that different from Pad Thai. You need a good, well-seasoned wok (see the Pad Thai post), must have all the ingredients ready (at room temperature or as close to it as possible) before you begin, and, above all, you really should do it only a couple of portions at a time - I'd say four at the most. In order to get a good wok char on everything and not turn your Pad See Ew into a pile of eeeeew-inspiring mush, your wok must be super hot so everything can be cooked very quickly. Doing six to eight portions on your regular stove is therefore basically impossible. Frankly, the wide, flat rice noodles normally used in Pad See Ew is even harder to deal with than the thin type used in Pad Thai. They stick like hell and will turn into mush in a heartbeat if handled improperly.

There are only three basic components in Pad See Ew, your protein of choice (chicken, pork, beef, or even shrimp), an egg (you can skip it if you want), Chinese broccoli, and Sen Yai or wide flat rice noodle. In order to keep everything nicely charred, we will be cooking each of these elements separately, and then combine them at the end to finish. Trust me, this is the best way to do it on a home stove, I've really tried. It doesn't take that much extra effort, and it really will prevent the much-feared noodle mush. Worth it, yes?

Pad See Ew
For 2 portions
(Double, triple, or quadruple as you please, but it will be safer to cook two portions at a time.)

300g or 11oz of fresh flat rice noodle should be enough for two regular portions.
If you use dry noodles, soak them in lukewarm water until pliable but not soft. Make sure you drain the noodles very well before cooking or they will spitter-spatter everywhere.
1 egg
250g or 9oz of Chinese broccoli
1-2 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like it, chopped
2-3 tbsp of cooking oil (I use grapeseed oil)
a little less than 1 tbsp of thick soy sauce (You can buy it here or here.)
fish sauce to taste
1 tbsp of rice vinegar

For the protein and marinade
225g or 8oz of pork loin, cut into very thin bite-size pieces
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
a splash of dark sesame oil
Toss the pork and all the sauces together until well mixed. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking time.

Make sure you have all the ingredients prepared before you begin. For the Chinese broccoli, I love to use the stems as well. I use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough skin from the stems and slice them thin before cooking. Separate the stem pieces from the leafy part because they don't cook at the same rate. Cut the leafs into big pieces because they will cook down quite a bit.

Heat the wok on the highest heat your stove can handle. When the pan is very hot, add a tiny splash of oil. Throw in the broccoli stems and toss quickly in the hot pan for just a few seconds. Add the leafy part and a splash of fish sauce. Toss quickly again until the leafs are wilted. Transfer the broccoli into a plate and set aside.

Set the wok back on the fire and let it heat up until smoking. Add another splash of oil – this time a biggish splash. Tilt the wok to coat it well with the hot oil, then throw in the noodles. Shake the wok a few times and toss the noodles to coat them with oil. You can do it with a twist of your wrist if you're good, use a spatula if you're not so sure. Add just a little less than a tablespoon of thick soy sauce, and a few splash of fish sauce. Toss the whole thing again quickly to evenly distribute the sauce. Spread the noodles around the wok a bit to maximize the contact with the heat. That's how you get a nice charred bits from the wok. Add more oil if the noodles stuck to the pan. Like Pad Thai, this aint no diet food. When the noodles are done, cooked through and nicely charred in parts, transfer them to a plate and set aside. Scrape the wok with a spatula to get all the burnt bits out and chuck them.

Set the pan back on the fire to reheat. Add another splash of oil, follow by garlic and the marinated pork (or whatever protein you use). Spread the pork pieces around the wok and let it char, undisturbed, for a few seconds, then flip to the other side. If you cut the pork thinly – like I told you to - they will cook very quickly. When the pork are done, push them over to the side of the wok and crack one egg into the middle. Let the egg set for a few seconds and then stir everything together quickly.

Grab the plate with the broccoli you set aside and throw the veggies back into the pan. Stir quickly to mix, then grab the other plate with the cooked noodles and throw that in too (the noodles, not the plate). Toss again to mix everything well.

Taste it, you might need to add another splash of fish sauce or a bit more dark soy sauce to your taste. Some people add a little sugar too, I don't - I'm quite sweet enough already, thank you very much. Add one tablespoon of rice vinegar and give it a toss. A turn or two of pepper, another quick toss, and you are done!

See? It's really not all that complicated. If you need to make more, wash the wok quickly with hot water, no soap needed, just to remove all the bits stuck to the bottom. A quick wipe to dry and set the wok back on the fire to work on your next portion.

Trust me, you'll never order another Pad See Ew again.

----------------------------------------------

Want it vegetarian?

Easy. Use tofu in place of the animal protein. Find a tofu that's a bit on the sturdy side, silken tofu will turn into icky puree when you stir fry them. You can even use fried tofu - I find the step-by-step instructions here helpful for frying tofu, though I must tell you that I do not endorse you going to your local chinese market, opening containers of tofu, and squeezing it to gauge freshness, as recommended there!

If you don't want to bother with frying up the tofu, you could buy ready made ones at any chinese market. Seitan, if you're into that kind of stuff, will do well here as well.

To make it really strictly vegetarian, use this vegetarian "oyster" sauce in place of the regular oyster sauce, and this light soy sauce in place of the fish sauce in the recipe.

Comments

[auco]

I love how you don't use the absurbly expensive brands of oyster sauce.

Looking at the picture, I'm seeing everything I have at home, same brands mostly.

[KatyBelle]

This looks absolutely delicious. I'm definitely making this sometime this week.

[Sophie]

looks delicious!

what sort of wok do you use? i've been wanting to buy one, but don't know what brand to get.

[White On Rice Couple]

What a great lesson in making a perfect Pad Thai! Now my noodles won't be one messy, sticky lump. These instructions are the best I've seen so far for tackling the challenge of keeping the noodle strands separate and still tender.
I always pre-boil my noodles slightly, but your method saves one step. I like it!

[Paulina]

Mmm arroi! I love Pad See Ew; it's one of my favorite Thai noodle dishes. I also really love kui-tiew bohk, so simple and good :)

[Casey]

a superlatively clear recipe--the fotos are such a help. anxious to try this.

[sffoodie]

what's next? pad kee mao? ;)

btw, are you cooking AND taking pictures at the same time??

oh yah, if you could have a recipe for Thai Iced Tea, that would be awesome!!! that stuff is so good!
THANKS!!!

[Le]

Where do you get fresh rice noodles? Our local supermarket only sells dried, and i have not seen them at the Hong Kong Grocers either? Any chance you can mail order them?

[Su-Lin]

I think I'll have to give it a try! Thanks!

I'm going to have to agree with sffoodie - instructions for pad kee mao would be great!

[faith]

thanks for sharing, i can't wait to try it.

[bee]

Thanks for this series. I don't cook but your recipes are pretty easy to follow.

[Rasa Malaysia]

You need to cook more Pim. You are sitting on a gold mine!! :)

[Rasa Malaysia]

I might do a post about Penang Char Kway Teow. Penang-style fried flat noodles...but I need to find cockles first. :P

[crunchasaurus rex]

Awesome..!! thanks..!! i will definitely try it out.. :)

[swirlingnotions]

My stomach just rumbled, this looked (and sounded . . . I could feel the rhythm of the chopping and tossing as I read) so good.

I have 2 questions for you, Pim:

1) Do you have a recipe for Pad Ma Keur (I've done searches and haven't found anything, but the spelling always differs so much, I don't know where to go next)? If so, I'd love to check it out.

2) How do you suggest seasoning a stainless steel wok? I'm always flummoxed about just how much good to scrub off and how much to leave on as "seasoning".

Thanks!

[KatyBelle]

I made this for dinner tonight and it was a HUGE hit.

I had to make one or two substitutions, due to unavailable ingredients and family tastes: I used savoy cabbage instead of the gai lan, since the stuff at my grocery store was all wilt-ey, apparently I'd run out of fish sauce, so that didn't make it in :S, and I added a spoonful of sambal oelek, because my family won't eat anything without it (no joke).

Anyways, this was the best stir-fry I've ever eaten, and it's definitely going to become a regular for us!!

[Angie Pangie]

I'm writing items on my grocery list as I read. This looks fantastic! Thank you so much. : )

[Pim]

auco,
Yeah, I'm with you. I don't quite understand those itty bitty bottles of oyster sauces that cost a fortune. I get mine at the chinese market and it's like $3. Keep in the fridge and it lasts pretty much forever.

KatyBelle,
Thanks. Come back and let us know how it goes.

Sophie,
I use a cheap steel wok I got from a Chinese market for less than $20. Mine has a hallow metal handle that can get hot at times, but I just use a towel to grab it, no big deal.

WoRC, Paulina, Casey,
Thanks. Try it and let us know how it goes.

sffoodie,
That was the plan, but the pad see ew was such a hit we used up all the fresh rice noodle. Got to go get more and will do it.

Le,
I don't know about mail order. If you're in the Bay Area you might want to try Chinatown, Clement St., or Oakland Chinatown. There are tons of Chinese markets in the South Bay as well. If you can't get fresh noodles, you can buy dried ones. They are a tiny bit tougher to work with but once you're used to it you'll be just fine.

Su-Lin, Bee,
Thanks.

Bee,
I do cook. I just don't do it when there's good light. I think I might have to follow Deb's (Smitten Kitten) advice and get a good flash.

crunch,
thanks!

swirl,
Thanks, and yes I think. There are so many ways to do a stir-fried eggplant. How exactly do you like it?

As for stainless steel wok, I won't deal with it any differently than the regular iron wok. I hardly ever use soap on my wok. I pretty much wash just with hot water, and anything that's left on I just call it patina and be done with it!

KatyBelle,
Glad you liked it. We add chilli at table in Thailand too, so your sambal is not that big of a stretch.

Angie Pangie,
Good! Come back to tell us how it goes.

[southbay expat]

Pim, you're a goddess. I've been trying to figure out this recipe for years (there's a restaurant in austin with an absolutely addictive lip-blstering-hot version they call DWI).

Wonderful recipes. fantastic photos.
You're my hero.

[southbay expat]

Pim, you're a goddess. I've been trying to figure out this recipe for years (there's a restaurant in austin with an absolutely addictive lip-blstering-hot version they call DWI).

Wonderful recipes. fantastic photos.
You're my hero.

[Hillary]

Oh my goodness - thank you!

I LOVE pad see ewe and would love to make it myself but never knew how! Thanks!

[gaile]

oo, that looks fantastic! Is the thick soy sauce available in a wheat free version? (allergic). Or am I best trying the thickened sweetened homemade version? I'm not sure how sweet to get it?

[Dave]

Wow, this looks great! Question: would it be okay to substitute chicken with the pork? If so should I just get chicken breast and cut them up? I can't wait to make this, thanks for the recipe.

[Shimmer]

Awesome, detailed recipe. We used to live on Soi 38 Sukhumvit Road when my husband was posted in Bangkok light years ago and this was my favorite hawker meal. I've been disappointed ever since with the bland, insipid creations offered in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand, and am so relieved I can finally cook this on my own and with excellent results. Please post more Thai recipes - they are a joy to read and replicate at home.

[Lis]

Thank you, this looks divine. I adore pad see ew; now I can attempt making it myself!

[Cindy]

God I'm drooling already!

[Katie Boudier]

A little love letter for Chez Pim: I love you for posting this recipe. This is one of my favorite thai noodle dishes of ALL times. I've had it both in Thailand and here in San Francisco. I can't wait to try it out. Also, I just adore your blog. Always so very entertaining. Thank YOU!

[Nicole]

I tried this and it was great. Maybe even better than what I buy at Thai Express.

[mindy]

thank you!!!!! i love this dish and am glad you published your version! YUM

[Eva]

Hi Pim,

I made a slight variation on this tonight, and it was marvelous. I added lots of sautéed shiitake and woodear mushrooms, and used tofu instead of meat. Somewhat more Chinese sauces, too, so perhaps something between pad see ew and chow fun? The technique you describe (which I suppose amounts to cooking each ingredient separately and keeping the wok very hot) works perfectly, and produced a real treat with little effort or wondering if I was doing it correctly.

Having grown up in San Francisco, I often tried cooking with the wide rice noodles found in pad see ew and chow fun, but never understood that the fresh ones could just be stir-fried without being boiled or soaked. Duh. This was quite easy, and made for a scrumptious, veg-packed, comfort food for our Shabbat dinner.

Also, I wanted to note that even though you make a point to say this isn't health food, overall there's very little oil, and it's a healthy type. Plus, particularly if you add more vegetables than noodles, this really can be a healthy dish when made at home.

Overall, yum! Thank you so much for posting your recipe/guide.

[megan]

Pim,
Thank you for finally demystifying a recipe a have spent hours searching for! There are no good thai restaurants close by our home and we have taken things into our own hands. This was delicious!

Is pad kee mao made similarly? Or are there other types of sauces or seasonings involved?

Thank you!

[jennifer]

do you have a recipe for hai lam by any chance?

[Daniel]

Love your articles for beginners. The pad thai was stunning and hopefully I'll manage to make this one as nice after a few more attempts. Unfortunately didn't get the noodles quite right (and I've never actually tasted the dish before so nothing to go on). How wide are your sen-yai? 10mm?

Keep em comin'!
Greetings from a not so sunny Sweden.
// Daniel.