Drunken Noodles You may have seen this dish on menus in Thai restaurants or takeaways before and wondered what it is and why it’s called that. Its name in Thai is Pad Kee Mao and it became known as drunken noodles, as in Thailand whenever men got together for a drinking session they would go to the local street restaurant afterwards and order these noodles. They are salty and spicy and when you have had a drink too many a really strong flavored dish was needed to give those alcohol and cigarette numbed taste buds a chance of tasting the food. The true translation will surprise most people as it contains a profanity in Thai so if you’re a prude then you may be offended. The translation is Pad = stir fried, Kee = poop and Mao = drunk so the correct translation means a stir-fry for the drunk as poop customers. However this dish has beautiful flavors which sober people can enjoy quite happily and if you love Thai flavors then you should try it. Also this dish uses the fresh flat rice noodles which a lot of people are not too familiar with and it’s beautiful soft delicious noodle that in my opinion is nicer to eat than the classic yellow noodle or dried rice noodle. So here goes the recipe and step by step instructions on how to cook 250 gram of fresh rice noodles per serve (normally sold in 1kg packets) 100 ram of chicken or pork (sut into 5mm thin slices for stir- frying) 50gm of green beans cut into 25mm lengths 50gm bamboo shoots (optional) other vegetables as you prefer( carrot juliennes, broccoli florets pre blanched) 1 tblsp cooking oil (canola preferably) 1 tblsp fish sauce 1 tsp sugar 1 tblsp oyster sauce ¼ cup of liquid stock (chicken or vege) 5-10 leaves of basil (Italian basil or Thai basil) 1 tsp dark soya sauce 1 tsp minced garlic ½ tsp fresh chopped chili (for medium to hot) double for hot or half for mild) Heat the wok till very hot and stir fry meat and beans for 1 minute, add garlic, chili and fry for 10 seconds. Then add all liquid sauce ingredients and water to prevent garlic from burning and stir fry for another 10 seconds. Add noodles, vegetables and basil and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are thoroughly mixed with the sauce and meat and vegetables. This dish in a hot wok should only take 3 minutes from start to finish. If you don't have a hot wok, fry the meat and beans first until 80% cooked then put to one side.
Then clean and reheat wok or pan, add oil, garlic and chili and stir quickly for 10 seconds then add sauce, noodles, and cooked meat and vegetables.. This will save time and prevent the wok from being overloaded and losing heat. As with all stir fries the absolute best method is high heat from start to finish, all done in 3 minutes NOTE: the fresh rice noodles are sold in most Asian supermarkets at room temperature which is how they should be kept. If you’re local is forced to refrigerate them due to health regulations then microwave the serving on high for 1 minute before cooking. Ideally though they are at their softest and nicest texture when made fresh and kept at room temperature. Chilling them makes them go hard and microwaving is the best that can be done to try and restore them to their best. Also try and Get them the same day they are made. The difference between really fresh flat noodles and ones that have been sitting on the shelf for a week is light and day. Most manufacturers have a 10 day expiry on their noodles but really there is no substitute for fresh. I asked my local when they got a delivery which was every Monday and Thursday, they were happy to tell so see if you can time your purchase for same day of manufacturer. NOTE 2: Cook one serving at a time for optimum stir frying. Don't try 2 or more servings at once, these noodles are delicate and tossing and mixing them too much will break the long strands of noodles into short pieces. If possible the best way to mix is by tossing the pan or wok and letting that action do the mixing. If you are unsure of that then use a blunt plastic spoon or spatula to get under the noodles and lift them rather than just sticking a sharp implement into the middle of the wok and stirring which will cut the noodles up. Panasia is the home of best and freshest Asian takeaways. Panasia was started up in 2006 by husband and wife Paul and Pimvalee and their two teenage children. They specialize in a varied menu of Thai and Chinese. More about their Thai food Auckland menu and the areas they deliver can be known from their website http://www.panasia.co.nz/auckland_asian_takeaway_delivery.