Recipes

Stir-fried Spicy Ramen Noodles

Pad Kee Mao MaMa

Instant ramen noodles stir-fried with chicken, finger root, and fresh green peppercorn

Prep

10 min

Cook

5 min

Serves

4

Heat

very hot

This version of Pad Kee Mao trades the traditional wide rice noodles for instant ramen squares, a practical swap that keeps the dish's signature sharp, herbaceous heat intact even when fresh rice noodles aren't easy to find. The noodles get a quick par-boil to loosen them up while staying firm, then finish frying directly in a sauce built on pounded chili and garlic, punchy finger root, and whole bunches of fresh green peppercorn. As with the rice noodle version, basil goes in near the very end and the dish is best eaten immediately, while the noodles are still glossy rather than gummy.

Ingredients

• 5 Ramen noodle packages (seasoning packet discarded or saved for another use)
• 1 1/3 cups Chicken breast (thinly sliced)
• 4 Baby corns
• 7 small pieces Carrot (cut into small pieces)
• 7 slivers Thai long chili (cut into thin slivers)
• 2-3 Fresh green peppercorn bunches
• 27 slivers Finger root (cut into thin slivers)
• 9 Thai hot chilies (pounded with the garlic)
• 1-2 slices Brown or yellow onion (sliced)
• 9 Garlic, small cloves (pounded with the chili)
• 2 2/3 cups Thai sweet basil (leaves and flower tops, a few reserved for garnish)
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Sugar
• 5 1/3 teaspoons Light soy sauce
• 5 1/3 teaspoons Oyster sauce
• 1 1/3 teaspoons Dark sweet soy sauce

Directions

1. Slice the chicken thin. Clean and cut the vegetables and basil. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the instant noodles.
2. Pound the chili and garlic together with a mortar and pestle. Use less chili for a milder dish.
3. Boil the ramen noodles for about a minute, no more — they should stay firm. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; they'll still feel a little stiff once cool.
4. Heat oil in a wok until very hot. Add the garlic, chili, and onion and stir-fry for about 10 seconds, until fragrant — watch closely so the garlic doesn't burn.
5. Add the chicken and cook for about 30 seconds, until roughly half done.
6. Add the baby corn, mild chili, carrot, finger root, and green peppercorn bunches. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds, then add the light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Keep stirring until hot again, then add the sugar and fry until fully melted.
7. Add the par-cooked noodles and stir them into the sauce and vegetables as thoroughly as possible, flipping and turning for about a minute, pressing them into the pan to fry properly.
8. Add the dark sweet soy sauce and stir in well, pushing and pulling the noodles to distribute it evenly.
9. Add the basil, reserving a few flower tops for garnish. Stir until softened, about a minute or less.
10. The noodles should be lightly browned with most of the sauce absorbed. Don't overcook. Plate with the noodles on the bottom and vegetables mostly on top, pulling out the peppercorn bunches to use as garnish along with the reserved basil.

Notes

Rinse the par-boiled noodles in cold water and keep them firm before frying — fully soft instant noodles turn mushy once they hit the hot pan and sauce.

Substitutions

Pork tenderloin can replace the chicken breast. Fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai) make an even better version of this dish if you can find them.