Pad Kee Mao Talay or Thai Drunken Noodles with Seafood. This noodle dish is spicy and fragrant with Thai Basil and mixed seafood.
Despite the name 'Drunken Noodle', this Thai noodle dish does not contain any alcohol. Instead, the name is supposed to reflect a dish that you eat after a night of drinking. Basically, it's a hangover dish 🙂
A hangover is not required to enjoy this spicy and fragrant rice noodle dish of Pad Kee Mao. I'm making this version with seafood (Talay), but you can substitute any protein or tofu instead.
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Rice Noodles
Similar to my Rad Na and Pad See Ew recipes, I'm using fresh rice noodles for the Pad Kee Mao. These noodles can be found in the refrigerated section in most Asian grocery stores.
Alternatively, you can use dry noodles, just follow the instructions on how to cook them.
Fresh rice noodles will come either pre-cut or a whole sheet. For the whole sheet, slice them into 1-inch strips. Place the noodles in a single layer in a steamer or microwave to soften.
The steamer method will take about 10 minutes on a rapid boil. If using the microwave, do 1-minute increments until the noodles are soft. Once the noodles are cool enough to handle, gently separate the layers.
Seafood
I'm using a mixture of squid, mussels, and jumbo shrimp as my protein. But feel free to substitute any protein you like, or just shrimp.
Jumbo Shrimp- The shrimp is raw and I prefer the look and taste of jumbo shrimp but you can use any size.
Mussels- These can be found in the frozen or refrigerated section and are already cooked and out of the shell.
Cooked Squid- I get these at an Asian market in the frozen section. They are already blanched and pre-sliced.
Stir Fry Sauce
These are the ingredients needed for the stir-fry sauce:
Use the measurements in the recipe card below as a guide and adjust the seasoning to your liking. The final taste should be slightly salty and have a hint of sweetness.
Herbs and Peppers
The main difference between Pad Kee Mao from Pad See Ew is the addition of herbs and bamboo. The Thai basil and lime leaves really help make this a fragrant dish, along with the spice from Thai peppers and jalapenos.
- Makrut Lime Leaves- If you can find fresh lime leaves then use them. Otherwise, they can be omitted and won't drastically change the taste of the dish.
- Thai Basil- Italian basil can be substituted.
- Bamboo
- Red Spur Chilis- For color and spice. Thinly sliced Red bell pepper can be substituted for less spice.
- Carrots- Just a few for some color.
How to Serve and Store
Pad Kee Mao Talay is best served right after making it. The rice noodles will get cold quickly, so I don't recommend making this ahead of time.
Instead, you can prep the seafood, sauce, herbs, and noodles, then start cooking right before you are ready to eat.
I also recommend cooking one portion at a time for the best results. The ingredient list is for 1 serving, but the video shows 2 servings being made.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 1 day. I don't recommend storing leftover seafood past 1-2 days. Reheat Pad kee mao in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet with a little oil until warmed through.
Pad Kee Mao Talay Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounce Fresh Rice Noodles or substitute dried rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon Oil (avocado or canola)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (rough chopped)
- 5 Thai Birds Eye Chilis (Use more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
- 3 Jumbo Shrimp (raw)
- 3 Mussels (pre-cooked and out of the shell)
- 4 pieces Squid (pre-sliced and cooked, usually in frozen section)
- ½ cup Thai Basil (packed or use Italian basil)
- 2 Markrut Lime Leaves (omit if unavailable)
- 2 ounce Bamboo (sliced)
- 2 Baby Carrots (cut into strips for color or omit)
- 1 Jalapeno (sliced in strips)
- 1-2 Red Spur Chilis (sliced thin or use red bell pepper for less spice)
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Golden Mountain Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Sweet Soy Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Thai Fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon White Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- For fresh rice noodles, place them in a steamer for 10 minutes or until softened. If the sheet is uncut, slice into 1 inch strips before steaming. Alternatively, you can place the noodles in a microwave and cover with a damp paper towel. Cook for 1 minute increments until soft.
- Once the noodles are cool enough to handle, separate them from each layer and set aside. If using dried noodles, follow the package directions on how to rehydrate.
- Thaw and peel shrimp if needed. Place on a plate or bowl with the squid and mussels. If you prefer to just use shrimp, then add more pieces.
- Rough chop garlic, and slice Thai chilis, jalapeno, and red chili. Slice carrot and bamboo into this strips. Remove basil leaves and lime leaves from stems.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a non-stick skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and Thai chilis. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add seafood to skillet and cook until shrimp is slightly pink. The squid and mussels are pre-cooked.
- Add the stir fry sauce and toss to combine with the seafood.
- Add bamboo, carrots, jalapenos, red chilis, lime leaves, and basil leaves. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the rice noodles and gently toss to combine. Let noodles sit for a minute to soak in the sauce. With fresh rice noodles they will break easily when stirring often.
- Taste and see if additional soy sauce, fish sauce, or sugar is needed. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 1 day. I don't recommend storing leftover seafood past 1-2 days. Reheat Pad kee mao in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet with a little oil until warmed through. More Rice Noodle Recipes: Rad Na (Thai noodles with Gravy) Pad See Ew Pad Thai
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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