Shrimp Pad See Ew

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Get Your Fix of Chewy, Delicious Rice Noodles with Shrimp Pad See Ew

This amazingly simple and super tasty, authentic Shrimp Pad See Ew is a popular Thai stir-fried rice noodles straight from the streets of Thailand. It is what I call simply Thai fast food! This deliciously chewy pan-fried rice noodles with shrimp are a popular street food in Thailand, and it’s super easy to whip up at home! Also, check out PrimeWater Seafood for shrimp that is SUSTAINABLY RAISED & TRACEABLE.

Shrimp Pad See Ew is one of the most popular Thai street foods. Shrimp Pad See Ew means stir fried soy sauce noodles. It’s amazing how fast it comes together – once the ingredients are ready to throw into the wok, it takes less than just a few minutes to cook. The noodles are seared in a wok and coated in a savory, slightly sweet brown sauce. It can include any type of protein (chicken is the most popular) and green vegetables.

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Though the dish is now enjoyed by people all over the world, shrimp pad see ew actually has humble beginnings. The dish was created by Chinese immigrants who came to Thailand in the 19th century. These immigrants were looking for a way to make use of the local ingredients, and so they created a stir-fry dish with rice noodles, vegetables, and seafood. This dish quickly became popular among the Thai people and eventually made its way onto the streets, where it became a street food staple.

Traditionally, Pad See Ew is made with wide, thin rice noodles. It is stir fried in a wok, with soy sauce, some vegetables and juicy shrimp. You may have tried and been disappointed by other recipes in the past. It all comes down to the sauce. You have to get the sauce right! This dish is guaranteed to become your favorite homemade Thai recipe.

Instead of layering on hard to find ingredients, this recipe is all about the basics. In fact, besides the sweet soy sauce, all of the ingredients can be found easily at most grocery stores. The only tricky part is the cooking process, which should be done over extremely high heat, which means it’s very important to not crowd the pan.

Pad See Ew is what I would consider Thai fast food, right up there with all of our favorite takeout noodle dishes––like Asparagus Beef Lo Mein, Brothy Noodles and Drunken Noodles. It comes together quickly as long as all the ingredients are prepared ahead of time and ready to go into the wok! It’s no wonder this deliciously chewy pan-fried rice noodle is a popular street food in Thailand. The origins of the dish can be traced to China from where the noodle stir-frying technique was brought.

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Shrimp Pad See Ew

shrimp pad see yew

It’s said that this dish was created by Chinese immigrants who arrived in Thailand in the late 19th century. These immigrants were looking for a way to recreate the rice noodles they were used to eating back home. Thus, shrimp pad see ew was born! This dish is traditionally made with wide rice noodles, shrimp, Chinese broccoli, and a soy sauce-based seasoning. The noodles are first pan-fried until they’re nice and crispy, then the other ingredients are added in and cooked until everything is nice and tender.

Serve this with some crispy Ragoons, Soybean Sprout Soup or some crunchy Mushroom Spring Rolls.

  • Author: Mai Pham
  • Prep Time: :15
  • Cook Time: :20
  • Total Time: :35
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Asian
  • Method: Wok / Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon miso paste or fermented yellow beans
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 pound bok choy, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2/3 pound dried rice stick noodles
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3/4 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
  • Salt
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 Thai bird chiles or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts (optional)
  • Cilantro, Sprouts and Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix the Asian fish sauce, miso paste, oyster sauce, sugar and low-sodium soy sauce.
  2. In a large pot of boiling lightly salted water, cook the bok choy until crisp-tender, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the dried rice stick noodles to the boiling water and cook until firm but pliable, 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; shake out any excess water. Transfer the dried rice stick noodles to a bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet.
  4. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook over high heat until pink throughout, 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the bok choy.
  5. Add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and cook over high heat for about 30 seconds, just until lightly scrambled.
  6. Add the rice noodles and toss lightly. Add the Asian fish sauce mixture and toss. Cook, without stirring, just until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir the rice noodles once, then cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
  7. Add the shrimp and bok choy; cook just until heated through. Transfer the rice noodles to a large platter, sprinkle with the chiles and roasted salted peanuts and serve with optional cilantro, sprouts and lime wedges.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian version, skip the shrimp. Add firm tofu if you like. I often enjoy pad see ew with just the egg.
  • The hardest part is controlling the sticky noodles, and stir frying them from the bottom of the pan gently so they don’t clump together.
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