Pad Siew (recipe adapted from ImportFood.com)
I used to order take-out Thai food all the time and pad siew (pronounced pad “see you”) was a perennial favorite, right after pad thai and lard nar. Nowadays I make it myself. This tasty pad siew packs a punch of flavor, but it is not for the unmotivated chef, as it contains a litany of ingredients. However, I think it is well worth the extra effort. If you can find an asian grocery store that stocks fresh wide noodles you are especially in for a treat.
Ingredients
marinade
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (or substitute corn starch)
- 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons black soy sauce (also called dark sweet soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
other ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken, beef, or pork
- 16 ounces fresh wide rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Thai bird chili peppers (prik ki nu) – optional
Preparation
In a medium size bowl combine all of the marinade ingredients and add the meat. Allow it to marinate for an hour.
In another medium bowl separate the noodles and gently toss with sweet dark soy sauce. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, palm sugar, and oyster sauce, and set aside to allow the palm sugar to soften.
Heat a large wok or non-stick frying pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add oil and fry the marinated meat until it begins to brown. Gently fold in the noodles. Add broccoli and stir again. Push the contents of the pan to one side and add eggs. Just before the eggs set, fold them in. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and oyster sauce mixture, and toss well. Cook until broccoli is crisp tender.
Sprinkle with pepper. If desired, top with some Thai bird chili peppers.
Prep note: Be careful not to overcook the fresh wide rice noodles or they will tear apart. Dried wide rice stick noodles can be substituted for fresh, but you will first need to soak them in warm water for a half hour before frying.
Other Thai Favorites
Michael’s Crazy Chicken Rice Noodle Stir Fry
Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai
Thai Style Wide Noodles in Gravy (Lard Nar)
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to review: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
Now it’s your turn. What Thai foods do you enjoy? If you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you! Please leave comments below. -Michael
Always such decadent meals in your home.
Mandy
If I blogged about my frozen pizza habit, it wouldn’t be as exciting!
Hi, Michael. Pad Siew (I noted your multiple spellings on the tags – good for you!) is one of my favourite Thai dishes. I had it every morning for breakfast for a week during a workshop I once conducted in Bangkok.
I’m glad I found your site via Mandy’s (and I wonder why your name is so familiar, though it could be that I came from Chicago originally and you have the Berghoff cookbook, so maybe we knew each other???).
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan! Thanks for the thoughtful response. Wow–you must have really liked pad siew! I sort of regret not traveling to Thailand when I lived in Japan. All of my friends came back with these crazy stories. People tend to know me by my first and last name together. It might be the result of having an all too common first name. I checked out your about page. I’m always fascinated to hear about island life, particularly in places that I don’t necessarily associate with island life. It looks like we both like experimenting in the kitchen. You’re the second person that I’ve met through Mandy. She is a people magnet!
Oh, I love pad see ew so much!
How many peppers do you recommend to use for it to be moderately spicy?
Me too! I would finely chop a few to get an idea how hot they are. I think you could substitute serrano or jalapeno peppers to similar effect too.