Pad See Ew is Thai stir fried rice noodles with soy sauce. This recipe has tofu but can easily be swapped with a protein of your choice or made Vegan by omitting the eggs.
This popular Thai noodle dish is made with just a few ingredients, but the key to a good Pad See Ew is using fresh ingredients and some cooking techniques to make it really stand out.
I'm making this a Vegetarian Pad See Ew by using Tofu and Eggs as the protein, however you can also make it using Shrimp, Chicken, Pork, or Beef.
Don't confuse this dish with Pad Thai, which uses a different sauce and ingredients.
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Fresh Rice Noodles
Using Fresh rice noodles really makes pad see ew taste more authentic. I buy these rice noodle packages in the refrigerated section at my local Asian Market.
Purchase them 1-2 days max before making this recipe, since they spoil quickly. The same type of rice noodles can be used to make Rad Na or Pad Kee Mao.
Most stores will have the rice noodles either pre-cut like the package above, or in one big sheet. For the noodles in a sheet, just cut vertical strips in the width of your choice.
The noodles are also hard and need to be microwaved. I do 1 min on one side, flip them over and a minute on either side until warmed through. You can also place them in a steamer and steam for about 10 minutes or until soft.
Once they are soft and cool enough to handle, you can separate the noodle strands as pictured above. Don't worry about the length being too long, the noodles will break as you are cooking them.
Here are some alternate options for noodles that I've found online.
I haven't personally used these noodles before, so follow the package directions on preparation and cooking.
Preparing and Frying Tofu
Prior to cooking the tofu, you need to press it and remove as much liquid as possible. This ensures a dense and crispy tofu when frying.
Drain the water from the package and place the block of tofu between a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a plate. I use a heavy cast iron skillet and place it on top. Leave the skillet on for 30 minutes.
Cut tofu into cubes, and begin frying in a skillet. The serving for 2 is just half the block of tofu, but I fried all of it to have extra tofu on hand.
Once the sides are lightly golden, remove the tofu and place it on a paper-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt for flavor. Set aside and continue prepping ingredients.
Gailon (Chinese Broccoli)
Authentic Pad See Ew uses Gailon, which is Chinese broccoli. Other substitutes include broccolini or regular broccoli florets.
Prepare the gai lon by washing it, cutting off the ends of the stem, and making slices. You can slice the leaves thicker since they will wilt during cooking. Use anywhere between 1-2 cups of sliced gai lon per serving.
Soy Sauce Mixture
In Thai 'See Ew' translates to soy sauce, so 'stir fry soy sauce' is the translated name of this dish. In keeping this authentic to its name, we are only using soy sauce and some sugar.
Some recipes use oyster sauce and fish sauce, but I don't think they are necessary for Pad See Ew.
Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
See Ingredient links for soy sauces in the recipe card.
How to Serve and Store
Pad See Ew is best served hot right after cooking it. In Thailand, they sprinkle some white pepper and serve it with prik nam som. Which is sliced chilis or jalapenos in vinegar.
You can also add some crushed pepper flakes for even more spice.
While Pad See Ew can be stored and reheated, the noodles will dry out after being in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be stored for up to 2 days, but again Pad See Ew is best eaten right after cooking it.
I hope you try making this Vegetarian Pad See Ew and be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Try these other Thai Noodle Recipes:
Pad Thai, Pad Woon Sen, or Rad Na.
Pad See Ewe Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Oil Divided
- ½ Package of Firm Tofu Drained, pressed, and cubed.
- 16 oz Fresh Rice Noodles
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Black Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 cup Gai lon (Chinese Broccoli) Sliced into small pieces or use regular Broccoli florets.
Accompaniments:
- White Pepper
- Chilis or Jalapenos in vinegar
- Crushed Red Pepper
Instructions
- Place block of tofu wrapped in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a plate and place a heavy object or skillet on top. Press for 30 min to remove liquid.Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar together in small bowl and set aside.Wash broccoli, slice into small pieces, and set aside.
- If using fresh refrigerated rice noodles, heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until soft and noodles can be separated. Don't worry about cutting them shorter, they will break as you are cooking the noodles.If using dried noodles, follow package directions.
- Cut the pressed tofu into small cubes and pan fry in a 3 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet. Flip over to other sides and remove once lightly golden. Sprinkle tofu with salt and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to skillet and turn up heat to high. Immediately add minced garlic, stir around, then add 2 beaten eggs, scramble and push to the side. Add Rice Noodles and soy sauce mixture. Toss quickly to coat all the noodles in soy sauce.
- Add sliced broccoli, toss to combine, then add fried tofu. Taste the noodles and see if more soy sauce or sugar is needed. Serve Pad See Ew with sliced chili's/jalapenos in vinegar, dash of white pepper, and red pepper flakes for spice.
Video
Notes
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.
Wanpen says
It look good