PAD KEE MAO

Pad Kee Mao image

This stir-fry of rice noodles and ground pork gives Pad Thai a serious run for its money. Pad kee mao translates loosely to "drunken noodles," though there's no alcohol here - just an easy-to-assemble dish that skews salty, sour and spicy from a glaze of fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and fresh chiles. Fatty ground pork imparts a lot of flavor, though you could swap in ground chicken or even firm tofu. If you're sensitive to heat, leave out the smashed chiles, to finish - and add a pinch of sugar to offset the salty punch of the dish.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories dinner, easy, quick, noodles, one pot

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
6 garlic cloves
5 bird's eye chiles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup sliced bell peppers
12 ounces fresh rice noodles
2 handfuls holy basil leaves (or Thai basil, in a pinch)

Steps:

Whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce and vinegar, and set aside. Roughly chop the garlic and three chiles together. Smash the remaining two chiles using the flat of a knife, and set aside.
Heat a wok (or a large frying pan over medium-high. When it's hot, add the oil, the chopped garlic and chiles, and the onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and a splash of the fish sauce mixture. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add the bell peppers and noodles, turn the heat to high and add almost all of the sauce (save a spoonful or two to add later, if needed). Cook, tossing everything together and separating the noodles if necessary, until the noodles are coated in sauce and take on a slightly charred flavor from the wok. Taste, and add more sauce if needed. Toss in the basil and the smashed chiles, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 751, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 78 grams, Fat 35 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 28 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 2078 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams