Pad Kee Mao (Drunk's Noodles)

Pad Kee Mao (Drunk’s Noodles)

Pad Kee Mao is the Thai version of going to an takeaway and ordering a kebab at the end of the night. It’s a fiercely hot, slightly greasy and salty stir fry that will soak up the alcohol after a night out and it’s so bloody hot will perhaps go some way to sobering you up!

For a one person portion use:

• a small chicken breast, thinly sliced


• a one person portion of rice noodles (thin or wide)


• a few stalks of broccoli, cut in half


• about 6 baby sweetcorn, halved


• 4 cloves of garlic


• 4 birds eye chillies, sliced fine


• a small handful of Thai basil (use tarragon as a substitute)


• a good splash of soy sauce


• a small splash of dark soy sauce


• a small splash of Thai fish sauce (nam pla) all supermarkets sell it


• a small splash of oyster sauce (use bottled not stir fry sauce mix)


• a pinch of sugar


• vegetable/sunflower oil for frying

In advance, If you have dried noodles that require soaking get them ready and prepare them to the packet specification. Like lots of my previous recipes, start off by bashing up 3 of the 4 chillies and all the garlic in a mortar until you have a rough paste. Finely chop the other and leave on the side until later. Heat oil in a wok and when hot, add the chilli and garlic paste. After a few seconds, add in the chicken, and stir fry for a minute. Next add in the vegetables and keep stir frying for another minute until the chicken is mostly cooked through. Next, add all four liquids and the sugar and cook down for another few minutes. Finally add in your noodles and toss them well to coat them in the sauce. Turn the heat off and throw in the basil leaves, stir through then dish up. Top the finished dish with the remaining chopped chilli.