Thai Drunken Noodles, aka Pad Kee Mao. Sauce-covered noodles with chicken, gai-lan, garlic, red chili, and holy basil that are savory and spicy.
Fantastic for dinner or lunch, ready in under 25 minutes. These noodles do not contain alcohol despite the name.
Difference Between Drunken Noodles and Pad Thai
The difference between these two dishes is that Drunken Noodles is spicy and savory while Pad Thai is nuttier and sweeter.
Rice noodles are used to make Pad Thai, which is a dish with chicken and crushed peanuts on top of a sauce made of tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar.
A spicy noodle stir-fry with a flavor profile that includes more vegetables and a thicker, savory sauce made of oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce is called Drunken Noodles (also known as Pad Kee Mao). Ground pork is frequently used as a protein in Drunken Noodles, along with vegetables like baby corn, snow peas, and Thai basil.
What Is Pad Thai?
One of Thailand’s most popular street foods is pad thai.
It is a style of stir-fried food made with thin rice noodles, beef or tofu, peanuts, chicken, egg whites that have been scrambled, bean sprouts, and other vegetables.
The ingredients may differ depending on the recipe used.
Chefs and cooks can sauté all the ingredients together in a wok.
Then, they combine these ingredients with the unique pad thai sauce, which gives the dish its distinct sweet and salty flavor.
Mostly tamarind paste, fish sauce, and oyster sauce make up the pad thai sauce.
How to make Thai drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
The rice noodles should be boiled in a pot of water until they are nearly done but still have some bite. Because they will continue to cook while you stir-fry, you want the rice noodles to be slightly undercooked.
Add the garlic, chili, onion, and red pepper to a pan or a wok that has been heated over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture starts to slightly caramelize.
When the noodles are added, allow them to brown for a few minutes before adding the sauce and Thai basil and combining everything.
Fold in extra green onions and serve right away. Optionally serve with crushed peanuts and a lime wedge. When eating rice noodles, it is always best to do so right away because otherwise, they can become somewhat sticky.
These stir-fried Pad Kee Mao noodles have the advantage of being easily customizable, so you can make them your own. Here are some modifications and ways to make this dish your own.
FAQ
Do drunken noodles taste good?
Thai cuisine that is flavorful, authentic, and savory includes Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles).
Do drunken noodles taste like fish?
Drunken noodles are definitely on the spicier side. It’s because they contain Thai basil, which ups the heat. Additionally, because soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce are used, drunken noodles have a very strong savory flavor.
Is drunk noodle sweet?
The Flavors. The flavor profile of Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles is another significant distinction. Although both of these dishes are relatively sweet compared to other Thai cuisine, they still have very distinct flavors.
Is drunken noodles very spicy?
You can’t help but fall in love with these fragrant, chewy pan-fried noodles. Despite being non-spicy, Thailand’s renowned noodle dish doesn’t skimp on flavor. Because they are flat and wide, these noodles maximize their chewy texture.
