Pad See Eew Kee Mao

Pad Kee Mao Vs Pad See Eew - I've come up with my own concoction "Pad See Eew Kee Mao ". Pad see eew does not have basil. The key ingredient there is the choy sum spinach and of course flat noodles and dark soy sauce. Pad kee mao does not usually have the greens or the egg. However I always mix them both when I order my lunch at Saap Thai (Eagle Thai in Sydney) and hence this recipe. If I were to have a garden, there will be 2 plants that are mandatory - Curry Leaves & Basil Leaves. I keep mixing with Italian Basil / Sweet Basil and Thai basil / Hot Basil. Not able to figure out the differences (yet).

What you need:

1. Flat Rice noodles (preferably the fresh one)
2. Minced garlic
3. Choy sum  (or any other type of spinach with stems). The leaves and stems have to be separated.
4. Soy Sauce
5. Fish Sauce
6. Kecap Manis (Gives you the colour and the sweetness)
7. Oyster Sauce
8. Sugar
9. Eggs
10. Basil leaves
11. Thai Red Chillies

Note: Vegetarians feel free to skip the fish and oyster sauce. 

The method:

1. I had bought the fresh flat noodles - the uncut version. It looked like a rice dhoti. Had to cut them to the size I wanted. Made  2" x8" (approximately) strips.
2. Rinse the noodles under warm water and separate them out.
3. Chop the veggies as in the photo above. Most important is to have the choy sum leaves and stems separate.
4. Heat a large wok on high heat and pour a generous amount of oil and swirl it to coat the wok.
5. NOTE: From this point on just use what you need for 1 - 1.5 servings. Do not try to cook for the whole party in a single go. It is time consuming...but definitely worth the effort!!!
6. Add garlic and the chillies and give a quick stir. Care to be taken not to burn the garlic.
7. Add the choy sum stems and stir fry for about a minute.
8. Add the choy sum leaves and stir fry until they wilt a little bit - but not too much. You need to maintain the crunch of the leaves and not let it become wimp and soggy.
9. Add the flat noodles, the sauces and sugar.
10. Stir fry the contents  for about a minute until the sauces gets mixed evenly and the noodles are all separated. If the noodles are too sticky feel free to add a few tablespoons of water which will help separate them out. (And also create a sizzle to add to give you a restaurant effect.)
11. Move the noodles to the side and create a space in the centre of the wok. Break open the eggs and create a scramble. Once the eggs are 3/4th cooked mix in the noodles.
12. Toss in the basil leaves and give a quick stir for about a minute.

The Result:

Enjoy...

C