Thai and South-East Asian Noodles

Cooking Skills: Noodles 2

Chapter 6 · Thai and South-East Asian Noodles

Skill goal

Fry pastes, stir-fry noodles over a high heat and balance sweet, salty, sour and hot in four South-East Asian dishes.

The basics

The noodle dishes of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are built on pastes fried in oil, very hot woks and a balance of sweet, salty, sour and hot. The seasoning is adjusted at the end, by taste.

Figure 6. Pastes are fried first to release their flavour. The balance of salty, sweet and sour comes last.

The key ingredients

Ingredient	What it is	Notes
Fish sauce	Salty, savoury fermented fish sauce	Fish allergen; soy sauce is a vegetarian swap
Oyster sauce	Sweet, savoury sauce	Shellfish allergen; mushroom sauce is a swap
Curry paste	Chillies, galangal, lemongrass, spices	Check for shrimp paste (shellfish)
Kecap manis	Thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce	Soy sauce plus sugar is a labelled substitute
Thai basil	Anise-scented basil	Add at the very end

The method

Fry the paste in oil for 2 to 3 minutes before adding liquid.
Get the pan very hot for stir-fries, and cook in small batches so the noodles char rather than steam.
Mix the sauce first and taste it, because the cooking is over in minutes.
Balance at the end: salty (fish sauce), sweet (sugar), sour (lime) and hot (chilli).

Hot wok, chilli, raw meat and allergens

Try it

Level 1 · Start here

Pad see ew

30 minutes2 portionsstir-frying wide noodles over a high heat so they char without breaking

Wide, soft rice noodles charred in a very hot pan with chicken, greens and egg in a dark, sweet soy sauce. Cook in one batch for two, and don't stir too much, so the noodles catch and char. See Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 2 for the stir-fry method.

Ingredients (2 portions)

250 g wide flat rice noodles (fresh, or dried and soaked)
200 g chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced (or firm tofu)
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Lion-marked eggs
150 g Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or broccoli, in pieces
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce)
1 tsp sugar

Mix the dark and light soy sauces, oyster sauce and sugar. If the noodles are stuck together, loosen them gently with your hands or a splash of hot water.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan or wok until very hot. Fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through with no pink. Add the garlic for 20 seconds. Push to one side.
Crack the eggs into the pan and scramble until fully set, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and 2 tbsp of water and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining oil and the noodles and sauce. Toss gently, letting the noodles sit for 20 to 30 seconds between tosses so they char. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until hot and glossy.

Hot wok, raw chicken, eggs and allergens

Wok heat: a very hot wok can make oil flare. Have every ingredient ready before you start, keep a lid nearby to smother any fire (never water), and keep the extractor fan on.

Raw chicken, pork and prawns: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat or prawns, and keep them away from cooked food. Cook chicken and pork until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes), and prawns until pink and opaque all through.

Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.

Allergens: fish sauce contains fish; oyster sauce contains shellfish and often wheat; shrimp paste and some curry pastes contain shellfish; peanuts are common in mee goreng and as a topping; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; eggs and noodles are allergens. Check the labels on pastes and sauces.

Level 2 · Spicy

Pad kee mao (spicy basil noodles)

30 minutes2 portionsfrying a fresh paste of garlic and chilli and adding basil at the end

'Drunkard's noodles' (made without alcohol here): a hot, savoury, aromatic stir-fry. The basil goes in at the very end so it keeps its perfume.

Ingredients (2 portions)

250 g fresh rice noodles or dried egg noodles
200 g chicken or pork mince
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 red chillies, sliced (use fewer for less heat)
150 g green beans, in 3 cm pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tsp sugar
1 large handful basil leaves (holy basil, or Thai basil as a labelled substitute)

Pound or chop the garlic and chillies together into a rough paste. Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
Heat the oil in a hot wok and fry the mince for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through with no pink.
Add the garlic and chilli paste and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the beans and pepper and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the noodles and sauce and toss for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the basil, toss for 10 seconds until just wilted and serve.

Chilli, hot wok, raw meat and allergens

Chilli: chillies burn skin and eyes, so wash your hands after handling them or wear gloves, and don't touch your face. Add them a little at a time: you can add more but you can't take it out. A very hot pan with chilli can make the air sting, so open a window.

Wok heat: a very hot wok can make oil flare. Have every ingredient ready before you start, keep a lid nearby to smother any fire (never water), and keep the extractor fan on.

Raw chicken, pork and prawns: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat or prawns, and keep them away from cooked food. Cook chicken and pork until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes), and prawns until pink and opaque all through.

Allergens: fish sauce contains fish; oyster sauce contains shellfish and often wheat; shrimp paste and some curry pastes contain shellfish; peanuts are common in mee goreng and as a topping; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; eggs and noodles are allergens. Check the labels on pastes and sauces.

Substitute: Thai holy basil is hard to find outside specialist shops. Ordinary Thai basil or Italian basil is a labelled substitute: it is sweeter and less peppery, so the dish will taste a little different.

Level 2 · Curry soup

Khao soi (curry noodle soup)

45 minutes3 portionsfrying a curry paste and building a rich coconut broth

A northern Thai coconut curry soup with chicken and egg noodles. Frying the paste in the thick top of the coconut milk is the key step.

Ingredients (3 portions)

2 tbsp red curry paste (check the label for shrimp paste)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
400 ml tin of coconut milk
400 ml chicken or vegetable stock
300 g chicken thighs, in pieces
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tsp sugar
200 g egg noodles
1 lime, in wedges
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tbsp crispy fried shallots or crushed peanuts, to serve

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the curry paste and turmeric for 2 minutes. Spoon the thick top of the coconut milk in and fry for 2 more minutes, until the oil separates.
Add the chicken and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink.
Season with the fish sauce and sugar. Taste: it should be rich, savoury, a little sweet and fragrant.
Cook the noodles separately and drain. Put in bowls, ladle over the hot soup and add lime, spring onion and the crisp topping.

Raw chicken, hot soup, coconut and allergens

Raw chicken, pork and prawns: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat or prawns, and keep them away from cooked food. Cook chicken and pork until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes), and prawns until pink and opaque all through.

Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.

Coconut milk dishes: keep leftovers covered in the fridge, eat within 1 day and reheat until steaming hot, once only. Don't let a coconut curry boil hard or it can split.

Allergens: fish sauce contains fish; oyster sauce contains shellfish and often wheat; shrimp paste and some curry pastes contain shellfish; peanuts are common in mee goreng and as a topping; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; eggs and noodles are allergens. Check the labels on pastes and sauces.

Level 3 · Street food

Mee goreng

35 minutes2 portionsbalancing sweet, spicy and savoury in one pan

A Malaysian and Indonesian fried noodle dish: sweet, spicy, savoury and a little smoky. Everything goes in quickly, so have it all ready. Taste the sauce before the noodles go in.

Ingredients (2 portions)

250 g fresh yellow egg noodles (or 200 g dried)
150 g cooked chicken or firm tofu, cubed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 potato, boiled until soft and cubed
2 Lion-marked eggs
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) or soy sauce with 1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chilli sauce or sambal
1 tomato, in wedges
100 g choy sum or cabbage, shredded
1 lime and a handful of crushed peanuts, to serve

Mix the ketchup, sweet soy sauce and chilli sauce. Cook the noodles for 2 minutes in boiling water, drain and toss with a drop of oil.
Heat the oil in a very hot wok and fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the cooked chicken or tofu and the potato and stir for 2 minutes.
Push to one side, scramble the eggs until fully set, add the tomato and greens and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the noodles and sauce and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until hot and glossy. Serve with lime and peanuts.

Hot wok, eggs, chilli and allergens

Wok heat: a very hot wok can make oil flare. Have every ingredient ready before you start, keep a lid nearby to smother any fire (never water), and keep the extractor fan on.

Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.

Chilli: chillies burn skin and eyes, so wash your hands after handling them or wear gloves, and don't touch your face. Add them a little at a time: you can add more but you can't take it out. A very hot pan with chilli can make the air sting, so open a window.

Allergens: fish sauce contains fish; oyster sauce contains shellfish and often wheat; shrimp paste and some curry pastes contain shellfish; peanuts are common in mee goreng and as a topping; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; eggs and noodles are allergens. Check the labels on pastes and sauces.

Experiments

Experiment

Wok heat

Hot or hot enough.

Stir-fry two small portions of pad see ew noodles, one in a very hot pan and one on a medium heat.

Look for: The hot pan chars the noodles and gives a smoky taste. The medium pan steams them and they go soft and pale.

Experiment

Soy and sugar

Dark and sweet.

Make pad see ew sauce with and without the dark soy sauce and the sugar. Toss with noodles.

Look for: The dark soy gives colour and a deep, almost caramel taste; the sugar balances the salt. Without them the dish is pale and flat.

Experiment

Basil early or late

When to add it.

Add basil to one pad kee mao portion at the start and another after the heat is off.

Look for: Early basil turns dark and loses its perfume. Late basil stays green and fragrant. Add it last.

Experiment

Paste fried or raw

Curry paste.

Stir a spoon of curry paste into hot coconut milk raw, and fry another in oil for 2 minutes first. Taste both.

Look for: The fried paste is rounder, deeper and fragrant. The raw paste tastes harsh and sharp. Always fry the paste.

Tasting notes

What I tried	Method or amount	What I saw	What I thought	Will I do it again?
Pad see ew
Pad kee mao
Khao soi
Mee goreng
Wok heat
Soy and sugar
Basil timing
Fried paste

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
Noodles broken or mushy	Over-stirred, or soaked too long	Handle gently; soak only until pliable
Pale and steamed	Pan not hot or too crowded	Heat the pan fully; cook in smaller batches
Too salty	Too much fish or soy sauce	Add lime and sugar; serve with plain noodles or rice
Curry broth split	Boiled too hard	Simmer gently; whisk in a splash of stock
Bland curry	Paste not fried	Fry the paste for 2 to 3 minutes before adding liquid
Bitter basil	Cooked too long	Add at the end, off the heat

Hot wok, chilli, raw meat, eggs and allergens

Wok heat: a very hot wok can make oil flare. Have every ingredient ready before you start, keep a lid nearby to smother any fire (never water), and keep the extractor fan on.

Chilli: chillies burn skin and eyes, so wash your hands after handling them or wear gloves, and don't touch your face. Add them a little at a time: you can add more but you can't take it out. A very hot pan with chilli can make the air sting, so open a window.

Raw chicken, pork and prawns: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat or prawns, and keep them away from cooked food. Cook chicken and pork until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes), and prawns until pink and opaque all through.

Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.

Allergens: fish sauce contains fish; oyster sauce contains shellfish and often wheat; shrimp paste and some curry pastes contain shellfish; peanuts are common in mee goreng and as a topping; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; eggs and noodles are allergens. Check the labels on pastes and sauces.

Coconut milk dishes: keep leftovers covered in the fridge, eat within 1 day and reheat until steaming hot, once only. Don't let a coconut curry boil hard or it can split.

Checkpoint: can you do this now?

I can fry a paste and build a coconut broth.
I can stir-fry noodles in a very hot pan without breaking them.
I can mix and taste a sauce before cooking.
I balance salty, sweet, sour and hot at the end.
I check labels for fish, shellfish, soy, wheat and peanuts.

Next chapter

Cooking Skills: Noodles 2, chapter 7 is Toppings, Pickles and Crisp Extras: the finishing touches that make a bowl.