Pad sieu...delicious Thai fried noodles. An easy and quick Thai meal

Although a lesser known and appreciated noodle dish than its cousin, pad Thai, fried noodle aficionados (of which I must boast I am one!) are equally fond of the humbly named pad sieu, or fried noodles in soya sauce…which is a name which hardly does justice to the gloriously easy and delicious creation that it is.

This dish is a part of the pantheon of quick and easy street or food stand meals, and most often fills a void as a quick and needed meal for one; and although you would rarely find pad sieu as a part of a more formal and elaborate meal…as with all cultures, it's often the simple street foods that win the prize for the tastiest of the dishes.

To make this dish you'll need good fat rice noodles, about an inch in diameter, and easily available from any Asian grocery store, you'll also need a sweet soya sauce, and there should be many available brands on offer at your Asian market. Other than this, all ingredients should either reside in your pantry, or be available at any comprehensive supermarket.

Pad Sieu for 4

• 150 grams dried fat rice noodles (soak in cold water for about 15-20 minutes or until soft and pliable, drain well before using. If rolled up, try to stretch them out slightly. It's best to soak only as you need them, as refrigerated noodles can be very hard to work with.)
• Oil for frying, a generous few spoonfuls
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• About ½ pound of chicken breast (you can use pork or beef if you'd prefer as equal substitutes here)
• 3 Tbls sweet soya sauce
• 1 ½ Tbls soya sauce
• 1 ½ Tbls fish sauce
• ½ lb Asian kale or broccoli as a substitute if Asian kale is unavailable cut into bite sized chunks
• ¼ tsp black pepper

1. Heat the oil up over medium high in a good sized wok shaking the oil to coat the surface of the wok. Add the egg and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan, let cook until thin and set, and remove. Add another spoonful or two of oil when hot, add chicken and fry for about a minute, or until cooked, and remove. Add all the noodles, and fry until all the noodles are separated and fried, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the fish sauce, the soya sauces, the vegetables and the black pepper, and fry for about 2 minutes. Return the meat and egg to the pan, and continue frying for another minute or two, or until the vegetables are cooked, and the noodles soft.
3. Serve with lime sections, dried red chili and fish sauce at the table, so people can season their dish to their liking.

Great as a quick and easy meal.