Last weekend, the boyfriend and I decided to check out some Thai grocery stores that we'd heard about across town. We drove from one store to the next, excitedly finding all kinds of things that we can't normally find closer to home, such as Thai holy basil (bai krapow/ใบกะเพรา). Upon spotting this revered herb, I knew I would be spending the rest of the weekend perfecting recipes for drunken noodles (pad kee mao/ผัดขี้เมา) and stir fried chicken with holy basil (gai pad krapow/ผัดกระเพรา), two dishes whose star ingredient is holy basil.

Holy basil is quite different from the regular Thai basil that has sweet leaves and purple stems. Holy basil has green, fuzzy stems with soft, jagged-edged leaves. It's quite fragile and will wilt quicker than Thai basil if its stems aren't in water. The taste of holy basil is also very unique - somewhere between basil and mint with a really strong pepper flavor.

It's this peppery flavor that makes holy basil work so well in drunken noodles. These noodles are somewhat similar to pad see ew except that they're much much spicier - so spicy, in fact, some say, it's the perfect dish to eat when you're drunk (this is just one of multiple theories on the origin of this dish's name - who knows which one is correct). The spice of drunken noodles comes from Thai chili peppers, red jalapeno peppers, and young green peppercorns. The peppery flavor of the holy basil works well to mirror and enhance these flavors.

The first time I made drunken noodles, I used three Thai chili peppers and I would definitely classify that dish as "Thai hot". I managed to finish my plate, but it wasn't without a few drops of sweat. How did the boyfriend fare, you ask? Well, I'd rather not embarrass him on this blog... (just kidding, he's Thai, after all, of course he did fine!)

My second attempt with two chili peppers was much more tolerable and what I'd recommend starting with if you're unsure of your spice tolerance. And after figuring out your prefered level of spiciness, it's really quite simple to cook. If you can make pad see ew, you'll be a pro at making these drunken noodles!

Recipe

Drunken Noodles | Pad Kee Mao | ผัดขี้เมา

With plenty of Thai chilis, young green peppercorns, and holy basil, this plate of Drunken Noodles is spicy and satisfying.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Noodles

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 622kcal

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh wide rice noodles
4-8 cloves garlic
2-3 Thai chili peppers
1 cup Thai holy basil leaves
2 tablespoons young green peppercorns
1 cup chicken
½ cup baby corn
1 red jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar

Instructions

Prepare your vegetables. Chop the garlic and chilis very finely. Cut the baby corn into bite-sized pieces. Slice the jalapeno thinly on the diagonal. Remove the holy basil leaves from the stems.
Prepare your sauce by mixing the sweet dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, thin soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar together.
Prepare your chicken by slicing into thin pieces and blanching until cooked. Loosen your rice noodles by blanching for just a second or two and separate them gently with your fingers, if needed.
Heat a few teaspoons of oil over high heat. Add the chilis and garlic and stirfry until golden brown.
Then add the rice noodles. Stir fry together for a minute and then add the sauce mixture you prepared earlier and stir fry a little longer.
Add the chicken, baby corn, jalapeno peppers, and peppercorns and cook for a minute or two longer.
Then add the holy basil and cook just until wilted. Take off heat and serve immediately!