Recipes

Thai Cashew Chicken Recipe

May 20, 2022 by Pailin Chongchitnant 51 Comments

If you want to learn how to make the best possible cashew chicken stir fry at home, get ready. This is my "ultimate guide" to this popular takeout dish. I'm giving you all the tips and tricks that I know, (even some surprising ones), to maximize the flavour. It's also very quick to make; a perfect weeknight dinner. This is my husband's all-time-fave Thai dish, and he wanted to let you know that this version is awesome 😉.

What is Cashew Chicken? Is it Chinese or Thai?

Cashew chicken is simply a stir fry of chicken and cashews with a sauce that's got a salty-sweet flavour profile. Many people might think of cashew chicken as a Chinese dish, and indeed China is where this dish originated. You can tell by the presence of sesame oil, which we don't use very much of in Thai cooking.

But Thai cuisine is heavily influenced by Chinese food, and this is one dish that has become a mainstay in Thailand, and in Thai it's called gai pad med mamuang himmapan ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์ . (I swear that whole thing just says "cashew chicken stir fry"!)

But as usual, no matter where dishes come from, once they arrive in Thailand, Thai people put our own spin on it. So the flavours are a little different in predictable ways; a little lighter, a little spicier, and with a little more fish sauce 😉.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients for Thai cashew chicken with important notes. It looks like a lot, but many of these you probably already have on hand. And if anything looks unfamiliar, not to worry - I'll explain everything you need to know!

Spicy dried chilies (optional). You can use any kind you want, I uses the generic dried chilies you find at Chinese markets. These are totally optional, but they are a classic part of cashew chicken in Thailand. They serve mostly as garnishes but people can also break them up for extra heat.
Extra-roasted cashews. The extra roasting makes them a little darker, crunchier, and nuttier! (See more under Pro Tip)
Garlic, chopped
Green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
Chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces. If using breasts don't cut them thinner than ½-inch to prevent them from drying out too quickly.
A mix of green, red and/or yellow bell peppers, 1-inch diced
Onion, 1-inch diced
Soy sauce
Golden Mountain Sauce, this is another type of Thai soy sauce. You can use Maggi Seasoning instead which is very similar, or sub more fish sauce.
Fish sauce
Sugar
Thai chili paste, store bought or homemade. For store bought I like Mae Pranom brand, but Pantai brand is also good. (See more on this in the FAQ)
Oyster sauce
Toasted sesame oil

How to Make Cashew Chicken

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps. But to ensure success I highly recommend watching the video tutorial before you start, as I often include extra tips; and for a very fast-cooking dish like this it's always good to see the whole process ahead of time, as you won't have time to read the recipe once the stove is on!

process shots for making cashew chicken steps 1-4

Marinade chicken in soy sauce. If using breast, add a little water.
Combine all sauce ingredients together.
Heat oil in a wok until very hot and spread the chicken in one layer and allow to sear.
Once browned, toss the chicken until fully cooked. Remove from the pan.

process shots for making cashew chicken steps 5-8

In the same wok, add the garlic and cook till golden.
Add the onions and cook briefly.
Add bell peppers, chicken, and the sauce mixture.
Toss on high heat for about a minute until everything is well combined and heated through.

process shots for making cashew chicken steps 9-10

Turn off the heat, then toss in the cashews and green onions.
Enjoy with some jasmine rice!

Pro Tips: Why This Recipe Is Special

Double-roasting cashews make them crunchier and nuttier, and that makes then pop. Some brands of commercially roasted cashews are quite light in colour, and aren't that crunchy. Stick them on a baking sheet and roast them again at 350°F for another 8-10 minutes, and you'll get crunchier and nuttier-tasting cashews that will be well worth the extra time.
Marinating the chicken while you prep makes it flavourful inside and out. The sauce is super flavourful, but it's only sitting on the outside. For the best result your chicken should also be flavourful inside.
Browning chicken adds flavour without the need to fry. Restaurants often dredge the chicken in flour and then deep fry them before tossing them into the stir fry. But if you just let the chicken brown in the wok, you'll develop that deeper "fried chicken" flavour, no frying required!
Adding onions after the garlic keeps them crisper. You might be tempted to cook onions first along with the garlic to get them soft and sweet, but here, the sauce is already sweet, and the chicken is tender, so minimally-cooked onion can better provide balance.

lightly roasted cashews vs dark roasted cashews on a baking sheet — Roasting store-bought roasted cashews again get them darker, nuttier and crunchier.

How to Make Cashew Chicken Faster

If you love cashew chicken and, like my husband, want to eat it again and again but don't want to do all the prep every time, I got you. Here are a couple of ways you can prep ahead and save time when the urge for cashew chicken strikes:

Make a big batch of cashew chicken sauce

Make 3, 4 or even 10 times the amount of sauce in this recipe. Be sure to scale all ingredients proportionally. Because sugar doesn't dissolve well in the thick sauce, I would first dissolve it in just a little bit of hot water before adding it to the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir to mix well.
Measure the final volume of the sauce before you put it away, and divide it by the number of batches to get the volume that you need per batch. Write this amount on a piece of tape and tape it to the jar so you don't forget. Keep it in the fridge, it'll last indefinitely. Stir the sauce well before using.

OR..Start with my Universal Stir Fry Sauce

If you don't want cashew chicken THAT often, make a jar of my universal stir fry sauce, which is super useful for all sorts of things, including this recipe.
For the recipe given below, use 3 tablespoon of the universal sauce instead of the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Golden Mountain Sauce, and fish sauce. When you cook, you'll just need to add the chili paste, sugar and sesame oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is better to use chicken breast or thighs?

I prefer chicken thighs in most dishes, cashew chicken included, because it's fattier, more flavourful, and much less likely to be overcooked and dry. If you prefer chicken breast though, not a problem, it works quite well here in this flavourful sauce. But if using breasts, add a little extra water to the marinade to give it a little extra juiciness - especially if you overcook them, which is easy to do with chicken breast.

What is Thai chili paste? Is there a substitute?

Thai chili paste is a sweet-savoury thick paste that is loaded with umami. It's made mainly from dried chilies, shallots, garlic and dried shrimp.

Some people do not add Thai chili paste to cashew chicken, but my strong preference is for versions with. It adds a rich, sweet-savoury flavour that makes it truly stand out. If you don't add it, it'll taste like a generic chicken stir fry - just with cashews. Nothing wrong with that, but to me a Thai cashew chicken really needs it.

If you can't find it in stores or online, you can make it at home using this recipe here. It's also really useful to have on hand for our famous tom yum goong soup as well!

You can also try adding Korean gochujang plus a teaspoon of extra sugar, but know that the flavours between Thai and Korean chili pastes are very different, so it won't taste the same. I think the Korean version will still be tasty regardless, so if you do try it let me know how it goes!

What kind of dried chilies do I need? Do I even need them?

The dried chilies are completely optional for this, as they serve more as a garnish than an integral part of the dish, and not everyone eats them. But they're an iconic "look" for Thai cashew chicken, so I have to include them here. You can also add dried chili flakes instead for some heat without having to deal with whole chilies.

If using whole chilies, they need to be fried so they become crispy and can be easily broken and incorporated into the stir fry for those who want to eat them. (See video for how I eat the chilis).

You can use any kind of dried chilies that are about medium spicy. So chile de arbol are great, or I've used generic ones you can find at Chinese stores. Avoid ones that are large though, as I find it harder to get them crispy without burning them.

Thai Grilled Steak Salad - Neua Yang Nam Tok

June 3, 2022 by Pailin Chongchitnant 12 Comments

Nam tok น้ำตก is a grilled meat Thai salad that hails from the northeast of Thailand. This version made with beef is a "steak salad," but this isn't your average bowl of leafy greens with a sliced steak on top. Nam tok is made almost entirely of steak; no vegetables, just lots of fresh herbs and a spicy, tart dressing. Served with sticky rice, it's one of the best dishes the Northeast has to offer, and is so easy to make at home!

A plate of Thai grilled steak salad with sticky rice - nam tok neua

What is "Nam Tok"?

Nam tok literally means "falling water" or "waterfall," so you might have seen this steak called "waterfall salad" on some menus. The name refers to the dripping (i.e., falling) of meat juices as it’s being grilled; so the one requirement for this dish is that the meat has to be grilled. There are two common types of nam tok: one made with pork, usually grilled pork jowl, and the other made with beef.

Ingredients and Notes

Ingredients for the Steak Marinade

This marinade is a simplified version of my ultimate steak marinade recipe because the steaks are going to get even more flavour from the salad.

Grilling steaks. Pictured are picanha steaks, also known as "top sirloin cap," but any other grilling steaks can be used. In Thailand, tri-tip is quite common.
Oyster sauce. Check out this post for how to choose the best oyster sauce.
Soy sauce. Watch this video for a soy sauce 101.
Sugar
Water
Neutral oil
Black pepper

Ingredients for the Salad

Uncooked jasmine or glutinous rice for making toasted rice powder
Makrut lime leaf (optional, not pictured). This is for adding fragrance to the toasted rice powder.
Cilantro
Mint
Shallots
Lemongrass
Shallots
Sawtooth coriander (optional, not pictured)
Roasted chili flakes - You can simply toast some plain chili flakes in a dry skillet over low heat for just a minute or so, until it darkens slightly and smells smoky. Or toast whole chilies, then grind.
Fish sauce. Learn more about choosing the best fish sauce here.
Lime juice
Water
Sugar
Thai sticky rice, for serving. This salad is always paired with sticky rice and I highly recommend it. Check out this post for how to make sticky rice.

How to Make Thai Grilled Steak Salad

Here's a bird's eye view of how to make neua yang nam tok, but be sure to watch the video tutorial first to ensure success!

process shots for making nam tok steak salad steps 1-4

Make the marinade by combining all ingredients.
Marinade steaks for at least 2 hours.
Grill the steaks, flipping at least twice for more even cooking.
I recommend medium to medium-well doneness for this recipe. Rare steaks don't hold up as well in this salad.

process shots for making nam tok steak salad steps 5-8

Toast the rice with a makrut lime leaf in a dry skillet or wok until browned.
Grind into a powder.
Slice the steak and place into a mixing bowl, adding any juices collected during resting.
Add all dressing ingredients and the toasted rice powder and toss.

process shots for making nam tok steak salad steps 9-10

Toss in all the fresh herbs.
Serve immediately with sticky rice!

A Tool for Navigating Beef Cuts

There are sooo many cuts of beef on the market, and it's impossible to remember which cut is good for what. If you've ever wanted to try a new cut but not sure what to do with it, check this out. Canada Beef, our sponsor for this post, has launched the Canadian Beef Information Gateway which breaks down over 70 cuts of beef, complete with info on how to best cook them and new recipes you can try out.

Check it out and you'll be amazed! Access the Gateway here or scan this QR code below!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cut of steak for a steak salad?

There are a lot of options depending on your budget. I'm using picanha for this, which can be hard to find, so any of the following would be a good choice: tri-tip, top sirloin, hanger, bavette (flap), skirt, flank, or flat iron. Higher amounts of marbling (fat) is better, so keep that in mind when you're looking at all the options.

Can I make this salad in advance?

You can prep some of the components in advance, but I recommend tossing the salad right before serving as the toasted rice powder will absorb all the moisture from the dressing and the herbs will wilt. You can do any of the following ahead of time:

- Marinate the steaks up to one day ahead. Marinated steaks can also be frozen.
- Cook the steaks up to a few days ahead. Keep it in the fridge and re-grill to heat it up before serving.
- Toast the rice. Keep it in a sealed container and grind when ready to use.
- Up to a few hours before serving; chop the herbs and combine the seasonings for the dressing.

Can I make this with another meat?

Yes! Pork is another common meat used for nam tok, and you can use the recipe for Thai BBQ pork jowl here for the marinade. Other meats are not common for this dish in Thailand, but you can certainly try it with chicken (dark meat recommended) or lamb.

Love to Grill? Check out these recipes!

Authentic Pad Thai Recipe ผัดไทย

September 27, 2019 by Pailin Chongchitnant 203 Comments

Take it from a Thai person, it's hard to find a really good, authentic pad thai outside of Thailand. I've searched high and low, and concluded that the best option is to master cooking it at home. This recipe is the real deal with all the ingredients of a traditional pad thai—no compromise.

I'll share all the tips and tricks and provide substitutions for ingredients you may not have. Make sure you also watch the video tutorial because this is a dish that's better learned visually and the techniques are important to success!

A plate of pad thai with shrimp and a side of lime and bean sprouts — Traditional pad thai shrimp with all of the classic garnishes.

Pro Tip: Pad thai is easy to make, but it isn't quick if you make everything from scratch. So to prep it for a weeknight meal, check out my post on How to Make Authentic Pad Thai in 5 Minutes!

What does REAL traditional pad thai look like?

You've probably had pad thai in your local restaurant, but what you had may not be anything like the authentic version. First, it should not have ketchup or any tomato product in it. Second, it should not be syrupy sweet. And finally, it shouldn't be just a heavy, soggy clump of noodles with bits of green onions.

Real pad thai should be:

Stir-fried in a hot wok, and all the sauce should be absorbed into the noodles; it should not saucy!
A good balance of sweet, salty and sour, not leading with any one flavour. It should not be overly sweet!
LOADED with beansprouts which lightens the noodles and add freshness.
Have lots of "bits" in it which gives complexity: shallots, garlic, tofu, dried shrimp, etc.
All in all it should be a well-balanced dish that leaves you satisfied, and not heavy.

Ingredients for Pad Thai

Here's everything you'll need, with more details on a few less common ingredients and how to substitute them. For the amounts, see the recipe card below.

FOR THE SAUCE:

Tamarind paste (aka tamarind concentrate) - This is a key ingredient for the sauce, and homemade is recommended for best flavor. Here's how to make tamarind paste from pulp. A store bought one is fine to use to make life easy, but do make sure it is a product of Thailand or Vietnam, not India, and should be a brown liquid with a pourable consistency.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON TAMARIND: The sourness of tamarind varies greatly between brands, so after feedback from a few people that their pad thai is too sour, I have changed the amount of tamarind to 3-4 Tbsp. Taste your tamarind, and if it's so sour it makes you pucker, use only 3 Tbsp. If it doesn't make you pucker, 4 tablespoon is fine. If you're not sure, start with 3 and you can always add more lime at the end.
Palm sugar - Choose high quality palm sugar when possible, for more info check out my ultimate guide to palm sugar. If not available, substitute equal weight of light brown sugar.
Fish sauce - Good fish sauce is perhaps the most important thing for flavour. For more info, here's my guide to fish sauce. If you're vegetarian, check out my vegan pad thai recipe.

FOR THE PAD THAI:

Shallots
Garlic
Dried shrimp - Can be omitted if not available or allergic.
Pressed tofu (pic below) - Sometimes labeled as bean curd, this is the firmest of all tofu. Extra firm tofu can be substituted, but if you feel like they might break in the wok, pan-frying them first will firm up the exterior and prevent breaking.
Sweet preserved radish (chai po waan, pic below) - Can be omitted if not available. These sweet-salty chewy bits of preserved daikon is always added to pad thai in Thailand. You'll likely need to go to a specifically Thai grocery store to find these, and it may come whole or pre-chopped. Japanese sweet preserved daikon, takuan, makes for a decent substitute and is much easier to find. Note that there is also a salty Thai preserved radish, which cannot be used instead.
Chili flakes - Optional but recommended. Pad thai is really much better when it's a little bit spicy!
Eggs
Roasted peanuts
Rice noodles - I recommend Erawan Brand size medium (pic below) which is the traditional size used in Thailand. If using a different brand, you might need to adjust the amount of water and soaking time.
Bean sprouts - Go for mung bean sprouts, not soybean sprouts.
Garlic chives - If you can't find these at your regular Asian store, try looking at Japanese or Korean markets also. You can substitute green onions but the two really do taste different. If using green onions, finely chop them as they have a much stronger taste than garlic chives.
Lime wedge for serving.

PS. You can make the sauce fresh as I showed in the video tutorial, or make it in bulk in advance and keep it in the fridge for months! Check out this large-batch recipe for pad thai sauce.

Pressed tofu is very firm and is great for stir fries. Marinated versions are also available and can be use if you prefer it.

Left: Thai sweet preserved daikon radish. Right: Japanese sweet preserved daikon radish, a good substitute.

Erawan Brand, Size M is the classic size for pad thai.

Pro Tip: Emergency Noodle Soaking

Medium size Erawan Brand dry rice noodles take about 1 hour to soak in room temperature water. Brands that are thinner, such as Thai Kitchen, will take less time, but the final texture won't be as good. You can use warm water to lessen the time required, but keep an eye on them and drain the noodles once they become opaque white and completely pliable (i.e. they don't resist gravity at all.) Don't over-soak.

If you're about to cook and forgot to soak them, don't panic! They can be soaked in 3 minutes in hot off-the-boil water, but it's a bit risky so I try to avoid this. Too long in hot water and they will become too soft, so you MUST time it and place them in cold water immediately after.

How to Make Pad Thai

I highly recommend watching the full video tutorial to ensure success, but here's a bird's eye view of what you need to do:

To make the sauce, melt and caramelize the palm sugar.
Once the sugar has darkened into a caramel colour, add water to stop the caramelization.
Add fish sauce and tamarind and bring to a simmer.
Turn off the heat and let it sit until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Process shots for making pad thai, steps 5-8

Sear the shrimp until browned, then flip and cook the other side. Once fully cooked remove from the pan. If using other kinds of meat, you can cook it all off as well.
Saute shallots, garlic, tofu, dried shrimp, preserved radish, and chili flakes until the garlic starts to turn colour.
Add the soaked noodles.
Add the sauce.

Process shots for making pad thai, steps 9-12

Toss until the noodles have absorbed all the sauce.
Push the noodles to one side and add the eggs to the space you've made and break the yolks.
Put the noodles on top of the eggs and let it cook for 15-30 seconds until the egg is almost cooked through
Flip and toss to mix the eggs with the noodles.

Process shots for making pad thai, steps 13-16

Add the peanuts, bean sprouts and garlic chives.
Turn off the heat and toss until the beansprouts are incorporated and slightly wilted.
Plate and top with more peanuts and shrimp.
Don't forget to add fresh lime before eating!

How to Make Pad Thai in 5 Minutes

Pad thai made from scratch isn't exactly weeknight-friendly because there's so much prep to do. But good news: the prep can be done days in advance so you can have pad thai on a Tuesday night in minutes, just like at a restaurant!

There are "4 levels of preparedness" when it comes to pad thai prep, all of which I explain in detail in this video, and even doing just level 1 in advance will save you a lot of time. If you've got all 4 levels done, you can cook pad thai in 5 minutes - watch me do it in real time!

Why is it so hard to find good pad thai in restaurants?

Cooking pad thai is not that hard, but the fully-loaded, traditional version has a lot of ingredients, not all of which are easy to find. For many restaurants some ingredients may not be available, the many prep may be too complex for their simple operation, or they need to keep the cost of such a staple item low. So things get left out and substituted.

But each ingredient in pad thai contributes a flavour. Nothing in there is added just for "fluff" - so the more you take away, the less complex the flavour becomes. Sure, you can omit or substitute a few things without much harm, but past a certain point, the flavour suffers significantly.

FAQ's & Common Issues When Making Pad Thai

Why is my pad thai so dark and so sour?!

You used the wrong tamarind. You probably used "tamarind concentrate" from India, which is entirely different from the one we use in Thailand and is much more concentrated. It can be used but you'll have to dilute it. Unfortunately I've not personally used it so I don't know for sure how much water to add, but I would start with using just 1 tablespoon of the concentrate mix with 3 tablespoon water. See this video for everything you need to know about tamarind, and this video on how to make tamarind paste at home.

Why are my pad thai noodles clumpy and soggy?

First, if you're struggling with getting a good texture for rice noodles, try this easier pad thai with glass noodles. It tastes just as good, and is SO much easier to perfect.

Now, your rice noodles. There are a couple common mistakes:

1) Do not boil the noodles before using. Dry rice noodles only need to be rehydrated for 1 hour in ROOM TEMP water, and they will finish cooking in the liquid of the sauce.

2) Do not crowd the pan, especially if you have a weak stove. If you crowd the pan you'll trap too much steam, which causes the noodles to boil rather than fry. I recommend making no more than 2 portions in one wok at a time, but if you want to cook a larger batch, you need to reduce the amount of water in the sauce.

Why is my pad thai so bland?

Make sure you measure the ingredients correctly. This is not the recipe to "eyeball". The sauce amount is designed to be perfect for the amount of noodles, so if you eyeball the noodles and use too much, it will be too diluted.

Why is my pad thai not orange like ones in restaurants?

Rest assured, you pad thai is NOT supposed to be orange! Many restaurants will add ketchup and paprika to boost the colour in order to make it look more appealing, but this is not traditional.

However, we DO make a type of pad thai that is a little orange, and that colour comes from shrimp tomalley which we render out into oil and use it to cook pad thai. Check out this easier pad thai recipe with glass noodles where I also show how to make shrimp oil that boosts the flavour of pad thai! Also, we have a similar dish called Sen Chan Pad Pu that gets its orange colour from ground chilies.

I need to make this for a party, what should I do?

Pad thai is not a dish I recommend making for a party. It's hard to make a large amount of pad thai using a home stove—you will need to make multiple batches.

Also, the noodles don't sit well and they are best when eaten fresh off the wok. If they sit for too long the noodles will start to clump up together.

It IS possible to do it for a not-too-big party, but I would cook multiple small batches, and plan it so that people will eat them shortly after they're done.

I have leftover pad thai, what's the best way to keep and reheat it?

Pad thai, and rice noodles in general, do not keep well. One day in the fridge isn't too bad; it can be microwaved or re-fried in a pan with a tiny splash of water. But after multiple days in the fridge, the noodles will harden and can't really be brought back to life. Check out my glass noodle pad thai for a version that can keep and reheat better.

How can I make pad thai vegan/vegetarian?

Don't modify this recipe! Use my awesome vegan pad thai recipe here instead!

Can I use chicken, pork, or beef instead of shrimp?

Yes. I'd marinate them first so they have some flavour: For 8 oz (225 g) of thinly sliced pork, chicken or beef, add 2 teaspoon (10 ml) soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) sugar and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water. Mix well and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

Cook it off first the same way I do the shrimp in this recipe, and toss them back to the pan at the end.

What's another quick and easy Thai noodle recipe I should try?

Glad you asked! My other favourite is this easy drunken noodles recipe (pad kee mao) which also comes together in just a few minutes after the prep is done. Or if you want something not spicy, pad see ew is a cult-favourite that is very simple and kid-friendly!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success. You can also watch this video on my YouTube channel, and if you enjoy the show, consider subscribing. Thank you!

Tom Yum Goong Recipe (Creamy Version)

September 8, 2017 by Pailin Chongchitnant 20 Comments

Creamy Tom Yum Goong ต้มยำกุ้งนำ้ข้น has become very popular in Thailand in the past several years. It's the richer, more voluptuous sister of the classic "clear broth" tom yum goong. In this video I also review basic techniques and ingredients essential in making the best tom yum possible!

When it comes to Thai soups, tom yum is indisputably the most popular, and many would argue the most delicious, soup there is. It happens to also be a very easy recipe you can whip up on a weeknight, and all the herbs I used, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, can call be frozen and you can quickly throw them in directly from the freezer.

Also check out my other tom yum recipes, I have recipes for tom yum chicken, tom yum fish and also vegetarian/vegan tom yum.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Authentic recipe for the classic Thai soup: Tom Yum with shrimp. It's easy yet full of bold flavours. Check out the vegetarian version on my website too! #tomyum #thaifood #thairecipes #soup #shrimp

Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

May 16, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 36 Comments

Mango sticky rice is the most famous Thai dessert, and for good reason! If you never thought fruit and rice would go together, this will blow your mind. Sweet sticky rice pairs unexpectedly well with sweet and juicy fresh mangoes. It's loved the world over, and is arguably the Thai national dessert.

The classic version of mango and sticky rice uses white sticky rice, but nowadays you can find it with other colours of rice based on natural dyes. In this post I'll show you how to make both the classic white and all the different colours you see here!

a plate of mango with 7 colours of sticky rice with mung beans on top.

What is Mango and Sticky Rice?

Mango sticky rice is a classic traditional Thai dessert, and in Thai it is called kao niew mamuang ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง. Kao niew means sticky rice, and mamuang means mango. The sticky rice part of the dessert is made from white long grain glutinous rice that has been steamed and then macerated in a sweet coconut syrup. The rice is then topped with a salted coconut sauce and crispy mung beans.

The mango part of the dessert is simply fresh mango! Of course you've got to get the right kind of mango for this dessert to work, as the varieties are very different. More on this in the ingredient section below.

In Thailand, you can find mango sticky rice just about anywhere, as it is popular amongst Thais and foreigners alike. But for the best mango sticky rice, you should get it from a shop that specializes in it as opposed to a restaurant that sells many things.

Also, even though mango sticky rice is available year around in Thailand, the best time to eat it is during the mango season which is in Thailand's summer; roughly from March until May.

Ingredients and Notes

There are 4 components to Thai mango sticky rice, but the ingredients for each one is incredibly short! Here are important notes about them, and for amounts, see the full recipe card below.

ingredients for mango sticky rice on a table.

1. Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice

Thai white glutinous rice, also known as Thai sweet rice or Thai sticky rice. To make sure it is the right kind, ensure it is long grain and a product of Thailand.
Coconut milk, a good coconut milk is important here. I like Aroy-D in the carton (not the can!) as shown in the pic. Also check out this post about how to choose good coconut milk. Do not use coconut cream for this recipe.
Salt
Granulated sugar. While you might be tempted to use palm sugar in Thai desserts, white sugar is used in this recipe to maintain the white colour of the rice. But if you're making a coloured rice, you can substitute half or all of the white sugar with palm sugar.

2. Salted Coconut Sauce

This is a simple yet extremely important component of the mango sticky rice. The salt helps balance out the sweetness and adds moisture and creaminess, so together you end up with a dish that is well balanced and not overly sweet.

Coconut milk.
Salt.
Rice flour or cornstarch. This is just to thicken the sauce so that it will stay on the rice and not run all over the plate, so any starch or flour that you have on hand will do the job.

3. The Mangoes

Mark my words: if the mango is not good, it does not matter how good your rice is.

The quality of the mango makes or breaks this dish, so make sure your mangoes are sweet, ripe and juicy. In Thailand, we use nam dok mai or ok rong mangoes.

In North America, the best mangoes for the job are Manila mangoes, also known as ataulfo or champagne mangoes. Avoid varieties that are fibrous or have a dense, firm texture. Usually the large, round-ish, reddish mangoes don't work well for this.

To ensure ripeness, I wait until the mangoes develop wrinkles on the skin, or even a black spot or two. Those are sure signs of ripeness. At the very least, I wait 3 days after the mangoes have turned completely yellow. I typically buy the mangoes at least a week before serving because most mangoes in stores are still green.

4. Crispy Mung Beans

Though many people consider these optional, I think they make a huge difference because they add an element of crunch. You'll be surprised at how much a little crunchiness adds to any dessert!

All you need is shelled, split mung beans which you can find at many Asian grocery stores. Do not get whole mung beans which are green; the ones you need are yellow, and they should be split in halves.

How to Make Mango Sticky Rice

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps involved, but if it's your first time, I highly recommend watching the full video tutorial to ensure success!

For the sweet sticky rice

process shots for making mango sticky rice steps 1-4

Wash the glutinous rice about 4-5 times until the water runs mostly clear. Then soak the rice in plenty of room temp water for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
If you want to colour the rice, you can add the colour to the soaking water (see instructions in the section below).
Drain the rice very well and place it on a moist (not wet!) muslin or tea towel, then fold the edges of the cloth over the rice. You can steam different colours at once, as long as they don't touch.
Steam the rice for 20-25 minutes over boiling water. Make sure the rice doesn't cover the entire rack - there should be space around the rice to allow the steam to come up.

process shots for making mango sticky rice steps 5-8

Prepare the coconut syrup. In a pot, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt; and if you have a pandan leaf handy you can throw it in as well. Cook it over medium high heat, and at the first sign of bubbling, turn off the heat and keep covered until the rice is done. Do not let this syrup reduce.
Macerate the rice. Shortly before the sticky rice is done, reheat the syrup back up so it is piping hot. When the rice is done, immediately place it into a mixing bowl and pour the hot syrup over the rice. Stir to break up any lumps, then cover with a lid, a plate, or aluminum foil and let sit for 20 minutes. It's very important both the rice AND the syrup are very hot to ensure proper absorption.
After 20 minutes, fold the bottom of the rice up to the top to help redistribute the liquid, and let sit for at least another 20 minutes or until ready to serve.
The rice should've absorbed all the liquid and looks plump and shiny, but not mushy. There should be no pooling liquid remaining.

For The Salted Coconut Sauce

process shots for making mango sticky rice steps 9-12

Stir the rice flour in some water until there are no more lumps.
Combine the rice flour slurry, coconut milk, and salt in a small pot. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
Pour into a bowl and let cool. It will not look like much has happened at this point.
After it has cooled it'll thicken to the perfect consistency. This will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

For the crispy mung beans

process shots for making mango sticky rice steps 13-16

Rinse the beans, add them to a small pot and cover with 2 cups of water.
Bring the water to a simmer, and as soon as it simmers immediately remove from heat and cover the pot; let sit for 10 minutes. Watch the beans carefully and turn the heat off as soon as the water is bubbling. Do not let them simmer or soak too long or they will overcook.
Promptly drain and rinse the beans in cold water then dry them on paper towel.
In a lightly greased pan, toast the beans over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the beans are dry, crunchy and slightly golden brown. Cool on a plate. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a month.

Assembly

a plate of mangoes with 4 colours of sticky rice, and coconut sauce on top, with mung beans being sprinkled on the rice.

Scoop the rice onto a plate, then drizzle the salted coconut sauce over the rice. Sprinkle the crispy mung beans on top and serve beside fresh mangoes. Enjoy!

Making Colourful Sticky Rice

7 bowls of rice soaking in 7 different coloured water

There are 2 ways to colour the sticky rice: colour the soaking water OR colour the coconut syrup. If using natural dyes, I find it is easier to add the colour to the water than to the coconut syrup, because colours have a hard time infusing into fatty liquid.

If using food colouring, then it will be easier to just stir a few drops into the coconut syrup.

Here are the natural dyes Thai people like to use. The following are formulas for 1 cup of soaking water, which is enough to soak up to 1 cup of sticky rice. Tip: It is much easier to see the dying process in action in the video!

Green - Pandan leaves + food colouring. Blend 50g pandan leaves with 1 cup of water until mostly fine. If you have a super blender like a Vitamix don't go max power and completely annihilate it as it will become bitter, and all of the fibers won't be caught in a sieve. The rice will not pick up that much green, so I find adding a couple of drops of green food colouring is necessary here for a bright colour.
Blue - Butterfly pea flowers. Steep 20 dried butterfly pea flowers in ½ cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Drain, then add ½ cup of cold water to cool it down. Make sure the water is room temp before you soak the rice.
Purplish blue - Butterfly pea flowers + lime juice. After you get the blue water from above, add about 2 teaspoons of lime juice to turn the colour purple. It will look quite purple now, but will turn more blue after steaming.
Yellow - turmeric. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder in about ¼ cup of hot water and stir to extract the colour. Add ¾ cup of cold water to cool it down. Make sure the water is room temp before you soak the rice.
Orange - red beets. Grate about ¼ of a beet into 1 cup of room temp water, then strain. The water looks red but the rice will turn orange after steaming.
Pink - Food colouring. In Thailand we have a type of wood called mai faang that we use to extract pink colour, but since it's not availablee here, you will need to use food colouring.
Dark purple - black sticky rice. Substitute 25% of the white glutinous rice with black glutinous rice (so if making 1 cup of rice, use ¼ cup black rice and ¾ cup white rice). Pour 1 cup of hot-off-the-boil water over the black rice and cover and steep for at least 30 minutes; or let it go until the water cools down to room temp. If the water is still hot add some ice cubes to cool it down, then add the washed white rice into it and let the two soak together for the required 4 hours. The initial hot soak is necessary for the black rice because it is a whole grain rice, and without the hot soak it will be too chewy.
**You will need slightly less coconut milk in the syrup if making black sticky rice because the black rice does not absorb liquid readily.

Logistical Tip for making multiple colours: I recommend making the same amount of each colour to make the math easy on yourself. Make the syrup in one big batch, then measure the total volume and divide it by the number of colours you have, so you know how much syrup is needed for each batch.

Tips for Success

It sounds like a simple dessert, and it is, but there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure success:

The sticky rice is best served the day it is made. While you can reheat it, the texture is never as good as when it's fresh. But there are lots you can do to prep ahead of time to make serving day much easier, see advance prep tips below.
Do not use any other method to cook the rice. Over the years I have shown you many ways to cook sticky rice, including this hot soak sticky rice method. But for this recipe I recommend only using the cold water soak method as shown here. Other methods will yield rice that is on the softer side, which is fine when eaten plain, but it could turn mushy after the syrup gets added.
Drain the rice VERY VERY well before you steam. If there is a lot of leftover water in the rice, it'll trickle down to the bottom and soak the cloth which will make the bottom of the rice soggy. PS. this is not as much of an issue if you use the traditional bamboo cone steamer as the bamboo can absorbs excess water.
Use good coconut milk. As you can see, coconut milk plays a large role in this dessert, and it's important to use a good one. My preference is for Aroy-D in the carton, NOT in the can. Coconut milk varies greatly in quality, so to learn more, read my post on how to choose good coconut milk.
Always use sweet ripe mangoes. There is nothing that ruins mango and sticky rice more than sour or flavourless mangoes!!! This is not a dessert to make out of season.
If you're using natural dyes for your rice, refrigerate the rice after 4 hours of soaking if not steaming yet. This is to ensure food safety since we have introduced fresh plant materials to the water.

Advance Prep Tips

Here are things you can do to prep ahead:

Make the coconut syrup up to a few days ahead and reheat before macerating the rice.
Make the salted coconut sauce up to a few days ahead and reheat just until warm or room temp before serving.
Make the crispy mung beans up to a week ahead and store in an airtight container.
Soak the rice up to one day ahead, and be sure to steam the rice at least an hour before serving to ensure enough maceration time.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

As mentioned, it's best to serve the rice the day it is made, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 1 month. Reheated rice will have slightly compromised texture, but it is fine to eat.

To freeze the sticky rice, divide the rice into portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.

To reheat refrigerated or frozen sticky rice, cover the rice with a damp paper towel and microwave until piping hot. Halfway through, take it out and break it up into smaller chunks and mix the up for more even heating.

Alternatively, cover with dry paper towel or tea towel and steam it in a steamer until the rice is piping hot. After a few minutes of steaming, break the rice up into smaller chunks for more even heating. The rice will not regain its softness unless it is fully reheated!

Let cool to room temp or slightly warm before serving.

The salted coconut sauce will last at least 1 week in the fridge without any issues. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

To store leftover cut mangoes, cover it well and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It may develop some browning, which is not pretty, but is fine to eat.

Toasted Rice Powder

September 27, 2013 by Pailin Chongchitnant 6 Comments

Toasted rice powder or kao kua is an important ingredient in northeastern Thai cuisine, also known as Isaan cuisine. It's used in popular dishes such as laab, nam tok grilled steak salad, and our classic dipping sauce for grilled meats or nam jim jeaw.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Gaeng Hung Lay - Northern Thai Braised Pork Curry

February 9, 2018 by Pailin Chongchitnant 26 Comments

Gaeng Hung Lay แกงฮังเล is one of the most iconic dishes of Northern Thailand, and arguably one of the tastiest! Pork belly and pork ribs are slowly stewed in a WHOLE bunch of herbs and spices. The result is tender fatty pieces of pork that has been entirely permeated by the rich and aromatic sauce. It is a dish to impress, and though it takes time, most of the process is hands-off!

This dish came to Northern Thailand via Myanmar, which in turn has a lot of Indian influences on their cuisine. This is why there are a lot of spices in this recipe, and why you can use Indian garam masala which you can buy from Indian grocery stores instead of making your own hung lay curry powder.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

The Curry

Pork belly, cut into big chunks
Pork spare rib tips, chopped
Tamarind paste, if buying tamarind paste, look for tamarind in a jar that is from Thailand (sometimes labeled as tamarind concentrate). It should have a pourable consistency. If it is very thick and not pourable, add one tablespoon at a time and taste before adding more. You can also make it from pulp using this recipe.
Dark brown sugar or palm sugar
Black soy sauce or dark soy sauce, optional, you can add more or less to get the colour you like.
Fish sauce
Garlic, peeled, but keep cloves whole
Pearl onions or Thai small shallots
Julienned ginger

Hung Lay Curry Paste

Tip: No time to make the curry paste? "Cheat" by combining 3-4 tablespoon store bought red curry paste with 2 tablespoon hung lay curry powder or garam masala.

Dried mild red chilies. I use dried guajillo peppers for colour because they're mild, and then add a few dried arbol or Thai chilies to adjust the heat. In Thailand, the mild dried chilies you're looking for is spur chilies or "prik chee fa."
Garlic
Chopped shallots
Lemongrass, bottom half only, chopped
Galangal
Turmeric (or 1 ½ teaspoon powdered turmeric)
Hung lay curry powder (recipe below, or use garam masala)
Fermented shrimp paste (gapi)

Hung Lay Curry Powder

Whole spices are always preferred as the flavours are more aromatic when freshly ground, but if you don't have it, ground version can be substituted.

Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
Black peppercorns
Turmeric powder, you can also pound fresh turmeric root into the curry paste
Green cardamom
White cardamom, these can be found a Chinese grocery stores.
Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds, this is the one spice I ask you use whole because in my experience ground coriander has so much less flavour than whole.
Star anise
Cloves
Nutmeg
Fennel seeds

How to Make Gaeng Hung Lay

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Make Hunglay Curry Powder:

For whole spices, toast them in a dry saute pan until aromatic and darkened slightly. You can combine spices of similar size and toast them at the same time.
Then combine all spices in a coffee grinder or blender and grind into a powder.
Once made, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. You will have more than you need for this recipe, so feel free to use it as rubs, marinades, or on vegetables!

Make the curry paste:

Grind dried chilies into a powder in a coffee/spice grinder, removing the seeds if you want to reduce the heat.
If using an immersion blender: combine lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste, and blend into a paste. Add the ground dry spices and blend just to mix.
If using a mortar and pestle: start by pounding lemongrass and galangal into a fine paste. Then add turmeric and pound until fine, then add shallots and garlic until fine. Then add the shrimp paste and ground dry spices and pound to mix.
If using a regular blender: combine lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste, and blend into a paste. If it's too thick you can add a little water to get it going, but only add as much as needed. Pour
Add the dried chilies and the hung lay curry powder and blend just until well combined.

Make the curry:

Preheat a wok or large pot over medium heat, do not add any oil as there will be a lot of pork fat rendered. Add the pork belly pieces in one layer, and without crowding the pan, and let them sear until well browned on 4 sides. They will stick at first but once they are browned they will release from the pan.
Add the pork ribs and give it a quick toss. Then add the curry paste and toss to coat all pieces of pork well. Once the paste is well distributed and it has had a couple of minutes to fry in the pork fat, add water just until it barely covers the pork.
Add fish sauce, black soy sauce, tamarind and sugar, and cook for 1 hour 45 mins to 2 hours, loosely covered, until the pork is fork tender.
Towards the last 20 minutes, check the amount of liquid, and if it's very soupy, uncover the pot completely to allow liquid to evaporate. You want the sauce to be thick and rich in the end.
Once pork is tender add julienned ginger, whole garlic and pearl onions and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the garlic is tender. You can add a little more water at any point if it gets to dry.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with extra fresh julienned ginger if desired and serve with rice, enjoy! This curry can also be made in advance and kept in the fridge, and it'll keep well in the fridge for at least a week.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Recipe Card

Authentic Thai Pad See Ew Recipe

April 27, 2023 by Pailin Chongchitnant 71 Comments

Pad thai may have all the fame, but Thai food lovers know that pad see ew is where real noodle bliss is at. This recipe has been a Hot Thai Kitchen classic for over a decade. It is tried and true, and I promise it'll rival anything you've had in restaurants! It's a quick and simple dish, but you need to know some tricks to achieve perfectly seasoned, not-broken rice noodles with that smokey wok char. Let's dive in!

a plate of pad see ew — Pad see ew, Thai stir fried fresh rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, served with its classic accompaniment, chili vinegar or *prik nam som.*

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What is Pad See Ew?

In Thai, pad means to stir fry and see ew means soy sauce, so...soy sauce stir fry? The unspoken word is guay tiew or "noodles," so it's full name is guay tiew pad see ew. It's a popular Thai stir-fried noodles that you can find all over Thailand, but it has its roots in Chinese cuisine which came to Thailand with the millions of Chinese immigrants.

It's a homey dish of fresh rice noodles seasoned primarily with soy sauce, and stir fried in a hot wok along with slices of meat and Chinese broccoli. In Thailand, pad see ew is a quick solo lunch, so you often find it sold at food courts and by street vendors. They're kind of like the sandwiches of Thai cuisine!

Ingredients

Pad see ew ingredients are short and simple, but using the right noodles and the right sauces are key.

Fresh wide rice noodles. These tender chewy rice noodles are what make dishes like pad see ew and drunken noodles (pad kee mao) so lovable. These are called sen yai in Thai, but they are also often referred to by their Cantonese name, ho fun. You can buy these at some Asian grocery stores, usually in big cities, in the refrigerated section.
If you can't find them, don't worry, homemade rice noodles are better anyway! Dried wide rice noodles do exist and can be used if necessary, but they are quite different and not nearly as good as the fresh ones.
Protein of your choice, thinly sliced. This can be chicken, pork, beef, tofu, or seafood such as shrimp. In Thailand, pork is the most common.
Soy sauce for marinating the meat, omit if using shrimp which do not need to be marinated.
Vegetable oil or another neutral oil of your choice
Garlic, chopped
Eggs
Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan. Choose smaller stalks if you can as they are more tender and are less likely to be bitter. If you cannot find gai lan, broccolini is a good substitute. I don't suggest using bok choy as it is much more watery and lacks the crunchiness of gai lan stems.
Sugar. White sugar is fine, but brown sugar will also work.
Ground white pepper, to taste. This is a common condiment to pad see ew, and the aroma of ground white pepper on top of pad see ew is truly iconic!
Prik nam som, Thai-style chili vinegar that is a classic condiment that I highly recommend. Pad see ew is sweet and salty, and drizzling a little spicy vinegar really brightens the dish and makes a more balanced flavour. It can be as simple as blending chilies and vinegar, but there are variations which I talk about in my prik nam som recipe here.

Pad See Ew Sauce Ingredients

A good sauce it key to great pad see ew flavour, so I suggest measuring ingredients properly and not eyeballing this one!

Oyster sauce. Check out my post for how to choose a good oyster sauce. To make a vegan version, use "vegetarian stir fry sauce" or another vegan oyster sauce option.
Soy sauce. Use Thai soy sauce (Healthy Boy Brand) if you can for the right flavour, but otherwise regular soy sauce such as kikkoman, or Chinese light soy sauce will also do.
Fish sauce. See this post on choosing a good fish sauce.
Golden Mountain Sauce. This is a type of Thai soy sauce with a flavour that is slightly richer than the Thai soy sauce. Maggi Seasoning would be a good substitute that tastes similar to Golden Mountain. You can also substitute an equal amount of regular soy sauce.
Thai black soy sauce. This gives pad see ew its characteristic dark brown colour and a rich flavour. Thai black soy sauce isn't very salty and tends to be a little sweet. If not available, you can sub Chinese dark soy sauce, but because Chinese dark soy is much saltier, you'll need to reduce other sources of salt. The easiest way, in my opinion, is to simply omit the Golden Mountain Sauce.

Watch The Video Tutorial

All my recipes come with video tutorial to ensure success. If you've never made pad see ew before, I highly recommend watching the video first as this dish goes fast, and you'll need to know exactly what to do once the heat is on!

How to Make Pad See Ew

If it's your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. The cooking goes fast, so it's good to know exactly what you need to do before you turn the heat on.

Most important tip: Cook 1 portion at a time to prevent mushy, broken noodles, and to maximize noodle charring. There's a reason street vendors do it this way! (The meat, however, can be cooked all together.)

Process shots for making pad see ew, steps 1-4

If using chicken, pork, or beef, marinate the meat with soy sauce and a bit of sugar. If your meat is lean, like chicken breast of pork loin, you can add about 2 teaspoons of water to give it extra juiciness. Stir to mix well and let sit while you prep other things.
Combine all sauce ingredients together and stir to mix.
Cut thicker part of the stems of chinese broccoli into thin slices on a diagonal. Roughly chop thinner stems and leaves.
Heat the oil in a well-seasoned wok or a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once very hot, add all of the protein and spread it out into a single layer as much as possible. Let the protein sear without moving until the underside is browned and the meat is at least halfway cooked.

Process shots for making pad see ew, steps 5-8

Once the meat is browned, toss until the meat is fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. If there is meat juices left in the wok, wipe it with a paper towel.
From this step onward, I recommend cooking 1 portion at a time for best results, so before cooking, divide up your ingredients into single portions. Heat the wok over medium high heat then add a little oil and 1 portion of the garlic; sauté until the smallest bits of garlic starts to turn golden.
Add 1 egg and scramble briefly.
Add 1 portion of the Chinese broccoli and toss to coat it evenly in the oil, about 10–15 seconds.

Process shots for making pad see ew, steps 9-13

Add 1 portion of the noodles (8oz/225g), 1 portion of the sauce (2 tablespoon + 1 tsp/35 ml) , and 2 teaspoon (10 ml) of sugar. Turn the heat up to high and toss to coat the noodles evenly in the sauce.
Spread the noodles out and let them sit without stirring for about 15-30 seconds until some of the noodles have charred on the underside.
Flip or toss the noodles and let them sit again to further toast the noodles. Repeat the tossing and toasting 1-2 more times.
Add 1 portion of the cooked protein back in without adding any meat juices that has accumulated in the bowl, and toss briefly to mix. Plate and enjoy with white pepper and chili vinegar.

Common Pad See Ew Problems and How to Avoid Them

After many years of teaching this recipe, I've noticed there are a few things that commonly trip people up. Read these carefully to avoid the same problem!

Broken noodles. Assuming you're cooking 1 portion at a time as recommended, you're likely stirring too aggressively. Fresh noodles are very delicate, so you want to flip and toss gently, pushing noodles around from the edges rather than haphazardly stirring. Also avoid metal spatula as they can cut noodles more easily.
Mushy noodles. You might be crowding the pan and trapping too much moisture, which overcooks the noodles and/or your heat is too low. I stress that you should cook one portion at a time to prevent trapping too much moisture under a big pile of noodles. Remember these noodles are already fully cooked, so it doesn't take much additional moisture for them to become over cooked and mushy!
They don't taste right. Did you eyeball ingredients? Did you measure everything? Pad see ew is one of those dishes where the ratio between sauce and noodles is everything. Unlike meat-and-veggie stir fries, these noodles absorb ALL of the sauce you give them, so if there's too much, it'll be too salty, and if there's too little, it'll be bland...so measuring is crucial!
Noodles stuck to the pan. Fresh rice noodles love to stick. Make sure your wok or skillet is well seasoned. You can use a nonstick pan but those typically should not be heated over high heat so the noodles may not get a good char.
There is no wok hei. Wok hei is that smoky wok flavour that many people consider a key ingredient of a good pad see ew. To get wok hei, you need a carbon steel wok on very high heat so the noodles can char and the oil can smoke. Not crowding the pan is also key. Sometimes, this just isn't possible to create given our home equipment, but I think it's still good without it!

How to Use Dry Rice Noodles Instead

a plate of pad see ew with bottles of soy sauce on the side — Pad see ew I made using dried rice noodles for the New York Times. Photo: Alana Paterson

I'll be honest...pad see ew made with dried noodles is not nearly as good as fresh. They have a totally different texture and flavour. I much prefer fresh, and once you experience the wonderfulness of fresh rice noodles... you kinda can't go back.

With that caveat, I understand that in desperate times, sometimes you just gotta get some kind of pad see ew on the table. So if needed: Don't follow package instructions for cooking the noodles, those can be unreliable. Here's what to do:

Soak the noodles in hot off the boil water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. The noodles are now partially cooked and ready to go into the wok, and they will finish cooking in the wok. You will need about 10 oz (280 g) of dried noodles to get 1 lb (450 g) of soaked noodles, but do weigh the noodles again after soaking just to make sure.

When cooking, I suggest tasting the noodles when you think they're done, and if they're still a little too firm, add a splash of water and keep cooking for another minute.

The best way to keep leftover pad see ew is...to freeze??

Yes! But first let me say that pad see ew, like all rice noodle dishes, is best consumed fresh off the stove. That is how you will get the best soft-chewy noodle texture with crunchy veg. So the best thing to do is to not make anymore than you can eat in one meal.

However, sometimes leftovers are inevitable, and you might be surprised that the best way to store pad see ew is to FREEZE it. Yes! This is because if you refrigerate them, the noodles will continue to absorb moisture from the meat and veggies, and eventually become soft and mushy. One day in the fridge, reheated pad see ew noodles will be noticeably less chewy, but 2 days in the fridge and they're basically inedible by my standard.

When you freeze them, however, this moisture absorption does not happen, so when you reheat, the noodles will still maintain their chewiness to a surprising degree, albeit slightly less so than when fresh. And of course the veggie stems will no longer be crunchy, but that's the price you have to pay.

How to Freeze and Reheat Pad See Ew

Freeze pad see ew in a microwaveable container in single portions, so you can reheat it directly. It will not be possible to divide the noodles while it is frozen. I keep mine in a glass food storage container.

Microwave it uncovered or loosely covered so the noodles don't steam, on full power, and do not stir it until most of the noodles have become hot and soft. When noodles are partially thawed they are brittle, so if you try to stir it mid-way you may break the noodles. Once most of them are soft, you can gently toss and bring the middle part out to the edges to get more even heating. Keep microwaving until the noodles are fully heated through and are piping hot. They will not regain their texture until they're piping hot again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute other noodles for pad see ew?

Yes! While I do believe that the best version is this classic one made with fresh rice noodles, In Thailand we actually make pad see ew with a couple other different noodles. A common one is sen mee pad see ew made with rice vermicelli. In Southern Thailand I grew up eating pad see ew with egg noodles which is also very good.

Some have asked if pad thai noodles can be used instead, and while it is not done in Thailand, and the result will taste quite different, you can certainly try. Follow the soaking instructions in my pad thai recipe, and you'll need to add about 2 tablespoon of water per portion when cooking.

How can I make a vegan pad see ew?

You can use tofu instead of meat. Use firm or extra firm tofu and fry them first until golden to firm up the surface. Then add them to the noodles at the end. You can use vegetarian oyster sauce instead of oyster sauce (read more about vegetarian oyster sauce here) and substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce.

More Thai Stir-Fried Noodle Recipes

Once you've mastered pad see ew, here are a few other Thai recipes to satisfy your noodle cravings:

Pad kee mao or "drunken noodles". If you love pad see ew and you love spicy, this is a must try. You can think of this as the spicy sister of pad see ew, or a noodle version of pad gaprao.
Rad na sometimes spelled as lad na, this is one of the most underrated Thai noodle dishes! The same fresh wide rice noodles are charred in a wok, and served with a pork gravy over them.
Pad See Ew with Vermicelli. If wide noodles are not available, try going the other extreme and make PSE with the thinnest of noodles! It's also a very quick and easy dish!

Thai BBQ Pork Skewers - The Ultimate Street Food (moo ping)

May 30, 2014 by Pailin Chongchitnant 17 Comments

There is perhaps no other food that represents Thai street food culture better than these. These flavourful marinated pork skewers, served alongside sticky rice, can be seen all over the country, any time of day. They're very easy to make, so you can bring the streets of Thailand into your backyard with this recipe

What is Moo Ping หมูปิ้ง?

Moo means pork, and ping means to grill, so the name simple means "grilled pork." But there is much more to it than that. The pork is marinated in a slightly sweet mixture of umami sauces, herbs, and coconut milk. They're then skewered and grilled, and always served with sticky rice.

In Thailand, you can find these sold by street carts outdoors, or inside malls where there are also plenty of food stalls. Nowadays, many of these vendors do not make their own moo ping, and instead buy them from a large supplier. In my opinion, the quality of the average moo ping in Thailand has gotten worse since this started happening. Mass produced moo ping are made from finely chopped pork, they use evaporated milk instead of coconut milk, and they always taste too sweet. So this is definitely one recipe I now prefer to make myself, so I can make them like the good old days!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Bamboo skewers, soak these for at least an hour before grilling, and up to overnight, to prevent them from burning on the grill. Though if you forget, you can use my other trick of placing a strip of foil down on the grill and making sure the exposed skewers rest on the foil to insulate them.
Pork collar butt roast, or pork shoulder. You want to use a fatty cut for this for maximum juiciness.
Garlic
Cilantro roots or chopped cilantro stems
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce
Black soy sauce to add a dark colour. You can sub Chinese dark soy, but you have to reduce the amount of regular soy sauce as Chinese dark soy is much saltier than Thai soy sauce.
Palm sugar, or light brown sugar.
Neutral flavoured oil
Coconut milk
Water, this is added to create a brine to make the pork juicier.
White and black peppercorns, though you can use one or the other if you only have one.
Corn starch
Sticky rice for serving

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

How to Make Thai BBQ Pork Skewers

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Process shots for making moo ping, steps 1-4

For the marinade: Pound garlic, cilantro roots, peppercorns in a mortar until fine. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved.
Add all remaining marinade ingredients, except cornstarch, and stir to mix.
If you see any silver skin on the pork, remove it, then cut pork into thin, bit-sized pieces. If you start with a roast, first cut the roast into long "cylinders" along the grain, about 1.5" wide by 1" tall.
Then slice each cylinder into 5 mm (¼ inch) thick pieces against the grain. See the video tutorial for a demo. Slicing thinly against the grain ensure that the muscle fibers are shortest, producing the most tender pork.

Process shots for making moo ping, steps 5-8

Pour the marinade over the pork and mix well. Let marinate overnight (8 hours) or at least 3 hours if you're in a rush.
After marinating, sprinkle cornstarch over the marinated pork and mix well.
Skewer the pork by simply poking through the middle of the piece, then lay them flat on a tray so that the pork pieces are laying flat, shingled on top of each other. Pack them tightly and neatly on top of each other and it'll help shape the skewers. If you have time, let the pork sit in the fridge on the skewers for another hour or longer to set the shape of the skewers, and the pork will not flop around as much when you grill.
Grill over medium to medium high heat, 1.5 - 2 minutes per side. I like to place a folded strip of foil on the grill under the exposed skewers; this prevents the skewers from burning, especially important if you did not soak the skewers. Serve with sticky rice!

Thai-Chinese BBQ Pork Rice (Kao Moo Dang)

March 12, 2021 by Pailin Chongchitnant 11 Comments

This dish is the epitome of "Thai street food". If you wanted kao moo dang you can walk into any food court and you're guaranteed to find a vendor. At the basic level it's just Chinese BBQ pork (char siu) on rice, but what makes this dish unique to Thailand is the savoury-sweet gravy studded with roasted sesame seeds.

a plate of kao moo dang with a side of cucumber and boiled eggs and a bowl of dark soy sauce — "Kao Moo Dang" literally means "red pork with rice" in Thai. "Red pork" is what we call Chinese BBQ pork (char siu).

Will Any Char Siu Recipe Work?

Yes. The recipe I show you here is the closest to what a Thai street vendor would make, and it is also a bit simpler. But if you already have your own trusted char siu recipe, or you've made my super popular authentic Cantonese style char siu recipe, each will work just as well. All of these styles have the same flavour profile, just slightly different ingredients.

Choosing Pork for Kao Moo Dang

Chinese style char siu typically uses port butt or pork shoulder, which works fine for this, however the Thai style is leaner and we like to use pork loin. This works because there's gravy to keep the dish moist even though the meat is lean.

Buy a pork loin roast (pic shown in the video), then cut it lengthwise with the grain into long strips about 2"x1" in diameter. Try to cut it in such a way that each piece has a bit of fat on it, because this fat will help keep everything moist and tender.

If you can, get the fatty end. When I went to get my pork from the specialty butcher, he was cutting my roast from a whole piece and asked if I wanted the "lean and pretty end" or the "fatty end". Turns out the two sides of a pork loin are different! Either will work depending on whether you like fatty or lean meat, but it's nice to have the option! I got the fatty end, naturally.

How about pork chops? If you can't find pork loin roast, pork chops will work but you want to make sure they are at least 1-inch thick. The pork needs time to brown and char slightly without overcooking the inside.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Thai-Style BBQ Pork (Moo Dang)

Pork loin roast, you can also use tenderloin if you prefer that.
Soy sauce
Golden Mountain Sauce. This is a type of soy sauce with a different flavour. You can also use Maggi Seasoning which has a similar flavour, or simply sub more soy sauce.
Black soy sauce. This is added for a dark, rich colour. You can sub Chinese dark soy sauce, but because it is saltier you should reduce the amount of regular soy sauce slightly.
Five spice powder, store bought or see my homemade recipe
Honey
Toasted sesame oil
Garlic
Ground white pepper
Red food colouring (optional). In Thailand the pork is typically dyed bright red. If you're not going for the classic look, it can be omitted.

Gravy:

Pork or chicken stock, unsalted or low sodium. See my homemade pork stock recipe here.
Pork marinade from above
White sesame seeds, toasted
Tao jiew fermented soybean paste. This is basically the Thai version of miso, but it is runnier and comes in a glass bottle. You can substitute equal amount doenjang or miso.
Chopped palm sugar or light brown sugar
Black soy sauce (optional) to adjust colour as needed. Chinese dark soy can also be used.
Cornstarch or tapioca starch to thicken the gravy.

Dark Soy Chili Vinegar (optional):

This is a condiment typically served with kao moo dang, it adds bright spicy acidity which works nicely with the dish. But it is optional as not everyone uses it.

Sweet soy sauce or packed brown sugar
White vinegar
Soy sauce
Thai black soy sauce or sub Chinese dark soy sauce and omit the regular soy sauce
Chopped chilies, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Here are some ingredients you may not have and how to substitute. You can also watch my video where I explain all the different sauces used in Thai cooking.

Thai seasoning sauce (Golden Mountain Sauce is a brand most commonly available). This is a type of soy sauce with a different flavour from our regular soy sauce. Maggi Seasoning or Bragg's Liquid Amino will work fine.
Tao Jiew or Thai fermented soybean paste. This is the Thai version of miso, except the consistency is runny and the soybeans are whole. It's very salty and comes in a glass jar; typically Healthy Boy Brand is the one most commonly available. You can substitute Japanese miso paste or Korean doenjang paste although they do taste slightly different; use them in equal amounts.
Five Spice Powder is a Chinese blend of spices that is absolutely key to the identity of this dish and is not substitutable. You can buy it, but if you have a lot of spices in your cabinet you can probably just make it. It's as simple as blitzing them in a coffee grinder. I prefer to make it from whole spices because the flavours are so much fresher than pre-ground spices. Check out my recipe for homemade five-spice powder here.
Thai black soy sauce is what we use to add dark, delicious-looking colour to various dishes like pad see ew. It's not very salty and has a molasses-y, slightly sweet flavour. You can substitute Chinese dark soy sauce, but because the Chinese one is much saltier, you have to be careful how much you add, and you may need to reduce the amount of the regular soy sauce a bit. You can also omit it altogether if you don't care about the colour.
Sweet soy sauce. Think brown sugar syrup + soy sauce. Indonesian sweet soy sauce will work just as well as the Thai one. As the name suggests it is mostly sweet and is very thick. In this case you can use dark brown sugar instead.

How to Make Chinese BBQ Pork & Rice (Kao Moo Dang)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Cut pork loin into long strips, about 1" x 2" wide (see video to get a better idea of what this looks like). You can then cut each strip in half if you wish.
Place them in a large zip-top bag or a dish that's just big enough to contain the pork in one, even layer.
Combine all marinade ingredients together and stir to dissolve the honey then pour over the pork, mixing well to ensure all surfaces of the pork are coated.
Marinade for 24 - 48 hours, flipping the bag or turning the pork over half-way through to ensure even marinating.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with the rack set in the middle. Allow it to preheat for at least 30 mins.
While the oven preheats, pull the pork from the fridge so that it has time to come to room temp a bit before roasting. Also now is a good time to get the rice going and prep any other garnishes you're serving.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and put a rack on it. Remove the pork strips from the marinade (don't throw away the marinade!), shaking off as much excess as possible, and place them on the roasting rack. If your pork is quite lean, it's a good idea to brush with some vegetable oil.
Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 155°F for well-done but still juicy pork. If you want medium doneness, pull them at 145°F.
While the pork is roasting, make the gravy: In a small pot, add the stock and the pork marinade and bring to a boil.
While you wait for it to boil, in a mortar and pestle crush the toasted white sesame seeds briefly just until they're broken but still look mostly whole. You should be able to smell the aroma once they're sufficiently broken. Remove from the mortar.
Add the Thai fermented soybean paste to the mortar and crush until there are no more chunks of soybeans; if using doenjang or miso you don't need to do this.
Once the stock is boiling there will be a lot of congealed scum floating on top; this is just cooked pork juice, and you can skim it off with a fine mesh skimmer and discard.
Add the tao jiew, white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of the palm sugar, and just enough of the black or dark soy sauce to get a nice rich brown colour (if using Chinese dark soy sauce, add a little at a time as it can become too salty.) Allow the gravy to simmer gently for about 5 minutes then taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce or sugar as needed.
Mix the cornstarch with a splash of water and stir to dissolve, then pour the slurry into the gravy while stirring. Bring the gravy to a boil, stirring constantly, until it's thickened.

For the dark soy chili vinegar

Combine all ingredients together and stir. This can be made well in advance and any leftovers will last in the fridge for several weeks.

Assembly:

Once the pork is done, allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. The pork can even be served room temp if the gravy and rice are hot.
While the pork rests, slice the cucumber, cut the boiled eggs in half, and prep any other sides you're serving.
Slice pork into thin pieces and place on top of the hot rice, ladle some gravy on top and serve with the eggs, cucumber slices, and Chinese sausages, if using.

Thai Chili Paste (Chili Jam) - Nam Prik Pao

August 28, 2015 by Pailin Chongchitnant 32 Comments

There are several sauces and pastes that are very important to Thai cuisine, and Thai chili paste or nam prik pao, is one of them. Nam prik pao is a savoury and sweet paste with a uniquely rich flavour. It's versatile and essential in many of Thailand's most popular dishes, such as the famous tom yum goong soup. It can be hard to find, but thankfully it's not at all difficult to make at home, and the homemade version always tastes better!

Thai chili paste in a bowl and in a glass jar.

What is Nam Prik Pao?

Nam prik pao น้ำพริกเผา is an extremely versatile ingredient and a staple in any Thai kitchen. It is a paste made primarily from dried chilies, shallots, garlic, and dried shrimp, all of which are ground into a paste, then seasoned and cooked in oil until thick and shiny. Though it is a savoury ingredient, nam prik pao is quite sweet.

The flavour profile of nam prik pao is quite unique, with robustness coming from toasted dried chilies and garlic and shallots that cook down until jammy. When it is added to a dish, it is usually an important part of the dish's identity, and you really can't substitute it with another ingredient.

In Thai cuisine, nam prik pao is used in many different ways, most commonly in soups, stir fries, and salads. More on different ways to use it below.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Dried mild chilies. Nam prik pao is not supposed to be very spicy, so stick with large mild chilies such as guajillo or puya peppers. In Thailand, we use dried spur chilies. If you want to make it spicy, however, that's totally fine, in which case feel free to add spicy dried chilies to the paste in addition to the mild.
Dried shrimp. These add loads of umami to the paste. You can find dried shrimp at any Asian grocery stores in the fridge, and I would choose medium size ones for this recipe.
Garlic, peel but leave the cloves whole
Shallots, peeled and cut into large chunks
Tamarind paste, also labelled as "tamarind concentrate". Make sure it is a product of Thailand which should come as a brown liquid. Indian "tamarind concentrates," which are a sticky, black paste, are much more concentrated and the same amount cannot be used for this recipe. You can also make your own tamarind paste from pulp.
Salt
Fish sauce
Palm sugar, finely chopped, packed. If palm sugar is not available, you can substitute light brown sugar.
Shrimp paste, optional. Fermented shrimp paste or gapi adds extra umami that's different from the dried shrimp, but it can be omitted.
Neutral flavoured oil. Quite a lot of oil is added to the paste in order to achieve a luscious, spreadable consistency. In commercial versions of this paste, more oil is used to the point where there is always a thick layer of oil that it on top of the paste, but at home you just need to add enough for the right consistency.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

How to Make Thai Chili Paste/Chili Jam - Nam Prik Pao

Here's the bird's eye view of the process, the full instructions are in the recipe card below. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Process shots for making thai chili paste steps 1-4

Toast the dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are charred in some spots and smell smoky. Remove from the pan and set aside. (See alternate broiler method for toasting chilies below)
In the same pan, add garlic and shallots and toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until they are charred. Remove from the pan. (See alternate broiler method below)
In a coffee grinder, grind dried chilies into a powder.
Add dried shrimp and grind until fine.

Process shots for making thai chili paste steps 5-8

In a food processor or a blender, add all ingredients except the oil.
Grind into a fine paste, adding more oil as needed for the paste to grind effectively. Scrape the sides down occasionally.
Transfer the chili paste into a pot or a wok along with any remaining oil. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to cook the herbs and thicken the paste to a spread consistency. If you are making a large batch, it will take more time to cook.
Once the paste is dark and thick, with the oil sizzling out of the paste, it is ready to be used or stored.

Alternate Method for Charring Chilies, Garlic and Shallots: Broiler

Traditionally the chilies, garlic and shallots are toasted in a wok or skillet because Thai people don't use ovens. But charring them under the broiler works just as well, and you may find it more convenient as it is more hands-off. This is what I would suggest you do if making a large amount.

For the chilies: Place the dried chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet, and place them under the broiler about 6-8 inches away from the element. Watch them constantly, and pull them out once charred spots form and they smell smokey - this can take less than 1 minute on some broilers.

For the garlic and shallots: On the same baking sheet you used for the chilies, place whole garlic cloves with the skin on on one side of the pan, and the shallots on the other. Broil them on the top rack, as close the element as possible, until some charred spots form on the shallots, about 5 minutes. Flip and broil the other side until more charred spots form, about 3 more minutes. Remove and peel the garlic.

Continue with the recipe as usual.

How to use Thai chili paste

Nam prik pao can be used in just about anything - soups, stir fries, salads, or even as a spread! The most famous use for nam prik pao is probably our tom yum goong soup.

In stir fries, simply add it in addition to your other seasonings, but remember that it is quite sweet. See my cashew chicken recipe as an example for how to use it in stir fries. We also love it in fried rice, such as in this 3-chili Thai basil fried rice.

I also love adding Thai chili paste to salads, like in this wing bean salad to make a richer dressing. And for a non-traditional use, you can spread it on toast or crostini as a snack, or use it instead of mayo for your burgers. When I was a kid, my mom used to make tuna sandwiches using nam prik pao as a spread on the bread!

Should you make or buy Thai chili paste?

The truth is that most Thai people buy nam prik pao, and it's a very common ingredient in any supermarket in Thailand. But overseas, it can be hard to find, so if you cannot find it, your only option is to make it yourself because there really isn't a good substitute. Thankfully, making it isn't hard at all!

If you're lucky enough to have it available, or if you're willing to buy online, my recommended brand that is available overseas is Maepranom. Pantai brand is a little sweet for my taste but it is totally fine to use; it seems to be the most commonly available exported brand, and indeed it is the only one that I can get here in Vancouver.

Storage

You can keep Thai chili paste in a sealed jar in the fridge and it'll last several months. You can also freeze it indefinitely.

Universal Stir Fry Sauce: Stir Fry Anything!

February 26, 2021 by Pailin Chongchitnant 30 Comments

A Stolen Secret From Thai Restaurants. During my years working in Thai restaurants, I learned that most of them have a pre-mixed sauce which they call "stir-fry sauce." And they put this sauce in nearly EVERYTHING! This is how restaurants are able to cook your dishes so quickly, and no, all your dishes won't taste the same as I explain below. Keep this sauce in your fridge and it's totally game changing for weeknight meals!

One sauce for all of your stir fries: meat, veggies, fried rice, noodles, and even marinade!

How to Use Universal Stir Fry Sauce

To give you an idea of how versatile this sauce is, here are different ways you can use it:

The most straightforward use is in a stir fry, such as this mixed vegetable stir-fry. But you can stir fry absolutely anything with this sauce.
You can use it to make a noodle stir fry like pad see ew or drunken noodles.
It works wonderfully in fried rice, like this chicken fried rice.
You can also use it as a base sauce to which you can add other ingredients to make it unique. For example, you can add some Thai chili paste, and you'll get a flavour much like my cashew chicken.
You can use it as a marinade! Use it on steaks, chicken, pork chops, whatever you want!

Be sure to watch the video tutorial where I demo how to use this sauce in a basic meat-and-veggie stir fry, with lots of stir frying tips. It's like stir frying 101!

No, All Your Dishes Won't Taste the Same

You might think, wait, doesn't that mean all my stir fries will taste the same? No! The sauce isn't everything. All the veggies, herbs, meat, spices that you add contribute more flavour than you think.

Yes, the sauce has its own delicious taste, but because it is a salty sauce, its other primary function is to be "the salt" in the dish. In all dishes, salt is there to enhance flavours of all the other ingredients.

Think of it like this: if you eat mashed potato that's properly salted, you don't think, "mmm, this is salty mashed potato." But you DO think, "this is delicious mashed potato!" Salt brings out more of the potato flavour for you to enjoy. This stir-fry sauce does the same thing.

One Sauce, Many Possibilities

If you want to "jazz up" the sauce with other ingredients, here are some ideas. I would add these to individual dishes when you cook; not to the base sauce itself:

Thai chili paste or nam prik pao. This is a thick sweet-and-savoury, jam-like paste with an intense flavour. Check out this homemade Thai chili paste recipe to see what goes into it. I would add at least 1 tablespoon of chili paste per serving. Check out this recipe for Shrimp and Chili Paste Stir-Fry as an idea.
Thai fermented soybean paste or tao jiew. This can be described as the Thai miso, but with a runnier consistency. We often pair it with fish, or use it in a vegetable stir fry like this popular Water Spinach Stir Fry recipe.
Sugar. I always add a little bit of sugar to stir fries, not to make them sweet, but to balance the saltiness of the base sauce. It will give a more "well-rounded" flavour. Different dishes require different amounts of sweetness, which is why I don't add the sugar to the universal sauce, but you can absolutely can if you want maximum simplicity when cooking; instructions for adding sugar are included in the recipe below. Instead of sugar you can also substitute sweet soy sauce or other sweeteners.
Curry paste. While generally when we use curry pastes in stir-fries we only add fish sauce, it's certainly possible for you to use this base sauce instead. Check out this recipe for Cauliflower Stir Fry with Yellow Curry as an idea.
Sriracha or another hot sauce. This will add heat and also tartness because most hot sauces have vinegar. Check out this sweet and sour stir fry as an idea.
Black soy sauce or dark soy sauce. This will add a delicious-looking dark colour to your stir-fry, like in the iconic Pad See Ew. If used in large enough amounts it will also add a deep molasses-like flavour. Don't add too much though, as it can be a bit bitter and tastes funny. You can also add a little bit right into your base sauce if you always want it a little darker. Note: If using Thai black soy sauce it is not very salty, so you can add as much as needed, but if using Chinese dark soy sauce, it is quite salty, so you may need to use less of the base sauce if you're adding a lot into the dish.

Storing Universal Stir Fry Sauce

Kept in the fridge, this will last indefinitely. The sauces are very salty, which means bacteria do not grow well in it. You still want to keep it refrigerated though because oyster sauce is the one ingredient in this mix that can get moldy at room temp.

How to Make a Vegan Version

Instead of oyster sauce, look for something called "Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce." This is available in many big Asian grocery stores, and it will have a consistency similar to oyster sauce.

Instead of fish sauce, you can buy a vegetarian fish sauce substitute, but I've found that they're not always good. So unless you've found a brand you like, I recommend just using more soy sauce.

Use more than 1 type of soy sauce. If you're not using fish sauce, I recommend using both soy sauce and Thai seasoning sauce (like Golden Mountain Sauce) so you can achieve a more complex flavour. You can also use Maggi Seasoning or Bragg's Liquid Amino as well.

Other Useful Tips

You can also use this sauce as a marinade! Marinade chicken thighs for the oven, or slices of meat on skewers for the grill ... anything!
Still season your meat separately. If you're making a stir fry with meat, such as chicken, pork, or beef, I'd still add a little bit of soy sauce or fish sauce to the meat separately so that the seasoning is in the meat, not just in the sauce! I demo how to do this in the video.

Questions about Thai Sauces?

Got questions about any of the sauces I used? Check these out and all your questions will be answered!

Stir fry sauce in a mason jar with a spoon pouring sauce into it. With a plate of a veggie stir fry in the background

UNIVERSAL Stir Fry Sauce

By: Pailin Chongchitnant

The one sauce you need to make hundreds of Thai stir fries, fried rice and fried noodles. This is the secret sauce that allows Thai restaurants to have so many things on the menu. Make a big batch and keep in the fridge for easy weeknight meals!

4.92 from 12 votes

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Cook Time 5

Course Sauces

Cuisine Thai

Servings servings

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup oyster sauce
▢ 2 tablespoon soy sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon fish sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce or Maggi Seasoning, see note 1
▢ 2 teaspoon sugar, optional, see note 2

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Notes

Golden Mountain Sauce is a type of Thai soy sauce; it tastes similar to Maggi Seasoning. If not available, sub an equal amount of regular soy sauce.
I personally don't add sugar to my stir fry sauce because I find different recipes require different amounts of sweetness, so I like to add it when cooking. However, if you're not too picky about sweetness, you can add it to the sauce for maximum convenience.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

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Instructions

Combine all ingredients except sugar in a glass jar or another well-sealing container.
¼ cup oyster sauce, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce or Maggi Seasoning
If adding sugar, place the sugar into a small heat proof bowl, then add a splash (~2 teaspoons) of hot water to it and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add this syrup to the sauce and stir to mix. Store the sauce in the fridge until ready to use.
2 teaspoon sugar
When using, you need about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sauce per 1 serving of stir-fry. This is a rough estimate, so be sure to taste and adjust every time. If you did not add sugar to the sauce, you may want to add ¼ - ½ teaspoons of sugar per serving to help balance the salt.

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Thai Mango Sticky Rice Cocktail

December 23, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant Leave a Comment

Everyone's favorite Thai dessert is mango and sticky rice, and now you can have it in a festive cocktail! I came up with this recipe for the live cooking class which I hosted with my Sabai Talk Podcast co-host, chef Hong Thaimee. I wanted to make a Thai flavoured cocktail with a flavour combination that I know would be a guaranteed hit, and this was it. The secret is the clever technique called "rice washing" which makes for an exceptionally smooth cocktail

mango sticky rice cocktail in a coupe glass with a pandan leaf garnish and a small disco ball in the background.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the the full recipe card below.

Mango juice. Get the best mango juice you can as the flavour of the cocktail relies heavily on the quality of the juice. It's hard to find pure mango juice, so a blend is fine, as long as it still tastes distinctly of mango. You can also blend mango pieces and make your own juice, more on that below.
Vodka. I tested this cocktail with various alcohol, including gin, rum, even mezcal! They all actually tasted great, but I decided to stick with the neutral tasting vodka to preserve the flavour profile of mango sticky rice. Other alcohols altered the flavour of the drink too much, but you can certainly experiment.
Coconut milk. Since this isn't going to be cooked, and it's one of two main flavours of the drink, a good quality coconut milk is important. I use Aroy D brand in UHT paper carton (not can). You can also read my article all about coconut milk to find out how to choose the best one.
Pandan leaf. Pandan is to Thai dessert what vanilla is to Western desserts. It has a lovely floral aroma that goes very well with coconut milk. Look for it wherever you buy your Thai groceries, and you can use fresh or frozen leaves. If you can't find it, it is fine to omit. If you have pandan extract, you can add it a drop at a time until a scent comes through, but don't overdo it as it can taste chemically when overdone.
Uncooked white rice. This is optional, but it will help make your cocktail smoother due to the "rice washing" technique (more details below). You can use any kind of white rice since we just need the starch, but I used Thai glutinous rice (sticky rice) because it is the starchiest, and it keeps with the mango-sticky-rice theme :).
Ice cubes.

How to Make Mango Sticky Rice Cocktail

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. The full instructions are in the recipe card below. Please excuse the low quality images as these are screenshots taken from the live cooking class which I encourage you to watch!

Grind the pandan leaves with a splash of the vodka until the leaves are bruised and broken down slightly. You can also use a cocktail muddler.
Add the remaining vodka and stir or swirl to mix.
Strain the vodka out, discarding the pandan leaves.
In a shaker, combine the mango juice, pandan vodka, coconut milk, rice and ice cubes and shake until fully chilled. Pour into a serving glass through a strainer. You can serve the cocktail with ice in a rocks glass, or without ice in a martini glass.

What is "rice washing" in cocktail making?

I first learned about this technique from Cook's Illustrated, and basically, shaking the alcohol with raw white rice ends up producing a smoother cocktail! How does it work? The starch that comes out of the raw rice during the shaking (the same stuff that make the water cloudy when you wash rice before cooking) captures some of the volatile compounds in alcohol that gives it the bitterness.

So you can use any kind of rice, but it needs to be white because brown rice contains the bran that keeps the starch enclosed. Oh, and it needs to be uncooked as the starch in cooked rice has all been, well, cooked :).

Before you start, if this is your first time, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success!

Like this recipe? You'd also love these!

Mango Sticky Rice Cocktail

A popular Thai dessert mango sticky rice, now in the form of a delicious festive cocktail! Rice washing technique produces an exceptionally smooth drink.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Course Drinks

Servings