Stir-fried Spicy Ramen Noodles

Drunken noodles, or Pad Kee Mao is a spicy stir-fried Thai noodle dish. The Thai words Kee Mao (ขี้เมา) mean drunkard. Several popular theories exist for the naming of the dish. One of the most common comes from the idea that you would come home late after a night of drinking and cook something with whatever was left in the frig, another says that these noodles are so spicy that you need to drink a lot of beer to get them down, so you get very drunk at dinner. Either way, I guess they should be called "drunkard's noodles" in English, but Drunken Noodles is what everyone still calls them. This recipe uses instant ramen-style noodles in place of the traditional wide rice noodles.

Yield: 1 or 2 serving

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 Minutes

Ready in: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 packages Ramen Noodles
1/2 Cup Thinly sliced Chicken Breast
1 - 2 Baby corns
2 -3 small pieces Carrot
2 - 3 thin slivers Thai Long Chili
1 bunch Fresh Green Peppercorns
10 thin slivers Finger root
3 - 4 Thai Hot Chilies
1/2 slice Brown or Yellow Onion
3 - 4 small cloves Garlic
1 Cup Thai Sweet Basil
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoons Light Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Oyster Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dark Sweet Soy Sauce

Basic Directions:

1) Boil the instant noodles for about a minute, no more. Drain well.

2) Crush chilies and garlic. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan until it gets really hot. Add the garlic, chili, and onion, and stir and cook for about 10 seconds.

3) Add the sliced chicken, and cook for about 30 seconds or so, until it is cooked about halfway.

4) Add baby corn, sweet chili, carrot, finger root, and green peppercorn bunch. Stir it all well, letting it cook for 30 seconds.

5) Add the light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Keep stirring and let it get hot again, then add the sugar and fry until the sugar is all melted in.

6) Add the cooked instant noodles and stir them into the sauces and vegetables.

7) Next, add the dark sweet soy sauce to the noodles and stir up well. Turn off the heat and add the fresh basil. Stir well and serve.