Why do they call them drunken noodles?
Good question. First off, you’ll find that every Thai restaurant and person/family will have their own way of making this dish. No two are the same, and this is my variation for a vegan/vegetarian version that’s quick and easy. It also has some fancier name variations like pad kee mao or less frequently, pad ki mao or pad kimao. Essentially a drunken noodle gets its name because in Thai, “khi mao” means drunkard. Rumour has it, they also can be super spicy so they leave the eater feeling dizzy aka drunk. However, don’t worry, you can make these as spicy or non-spicy as you wish!
There are some key ingredients that go into this drunken noodle recipe. The key ingredients are:
broad rice noodles soy sauce fish sauce oyster sauce garlic meat or seafood chilli holy basil.
However, that doesn’t sound very vegan, does it? So I’ve adapted this drunken noodles recipe to be vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Instead of meat or seafood, you can add tofu or your favourite vegan protein substitute. You’ll notice that I substituted the fish and oyster sauces with sesame oil to give it the flavour, and of course, loaded it with vegetables to make it a well rounded filling meal that’s nutrient-dense and perfect for a perfect meal when you’re in a hurry.
Make this drunken noodles recipe your own
The best part of this recipe is that it’s fully adaptable and you can throw whatever you have leftover for veggies in your fridge into the recipe. I find the veggies really absorb the sauce and make it so delicious. On top of that, you can make it in 15 minutes, and it’ll last in your fridge for 3-4 days. That makes it perfect for meal prep, or for you to eat it for every meal! Not to mention, these drunken noodles will fill your home with such amazing smells it’ll make everyone’s mouth water. Okay, I’m drooling already, let’s get to the recipe, but before that, I wanted to share a couple more of my fav Thai recipes:
Spicy Thai Sunflower Noodle Salad Easy & Healthy Sesame Soy Grilled Eggplant One-Pot Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl
Or for something not Thai but totally delicious, try my easy and creamy Vegan Ramen.
