Cambodian Thai Drunken Noodle.md

Cambodian-Thai–Style Drunken Noodles

Based on the dish at Cambodian Thai in South Bend Indiana which I crave on the regular since moving to California in 2012.

Servings: 2 large portions
Scale up as needed.

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1. Gather Your Ingredients

Noodles

• Wide fresh rice noodle sheets (14–16 oz)
  • Cut into ~1.5" x 1" diamond shapes or wide strips.
  • If unavailable, use 8–10 oz dried wide rice noodles (soaked per package until pliable, then drained).

Protein (Pick One)

• 6–8 oz chicken thighs or beef (flank/sirloin), thinly sliced
  • Optional marinade (recommended):
    • 1 tsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tsp cornstarch
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp vegetable oil
• Shrimp (8 oz, peeled & deveined)
• Firm tofu (8 oz, cubed or sliced)

Vegetables & Aromatics

• 1 can (5–6 oz) bamboo shoots, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced (optional but recommended)
• Fresh chili to taste (Thai bird’s-eye or chili flakes), optional
• Mung bean sprouts

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1–2 Tbsp palm sugar (finely chopped or in paste form)
• 1.5–2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate/paste mixed with 2–3 Tbsp warm water
  • (Or 2 Tbsp homemade tamarind liquid)
• Optional: 1 tsp dark soy sauce for deeper color

Taste and adjust the sauce: It should be a balanced sweet-sour-salty mixture, fairly thin.

Oil & Optional Extras

• 2–3 Tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut) for stir-frying
• Thai basil or scallions for garnish (optional)

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2. Prepare the Noodles

• Fresh noodles: Separate if they’re clumped (brief microwave or steam). Cut into diamonds/strips.
• Dried noodles: Soak in hot water until just pliable, not fully soft. Drain well before frying.

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3. Make the Sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together:
   • Fish sauce
   • Oyster sauce
   • Light soy sauce
   • Palm sugar
   • Tamarind (+ water)
   • (Dark soy if using)
2. Stir until palm sugar dissolves. Taste for balance (sweet-sour-salty). Set aside.

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4. Stir-Fry the Protein

1. (Optional) Marinate sliced chicken/beef: soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, oil for ~15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a very hot wok/skillet.
3. Add the protein in a single layer.
4. Sear ~30 seconds, then stir-fry until just cooked (2–3 minutes).
5. Remove and set aside. Wipe out excess liquid if needed.

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5. Stir-Fry the Vegetables & Aromatics

1. Add 1–2 Tbsp oil to the hot wok.
2. If using garlic/chili, stir-fry quickly for ~5–10 seconds (don’t burn).
3. Add the onion and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry ~1 minute on high heat, letting onions lightly brown.

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6. Add Noodles & Sauce

1. Add the drained/cut noodles to the wok.
2. Pour in the sauce, letting it sizzle and coat the noodles.
3. Spread noodles out and let them sear undisturbed for ~15 seconds.
4. Flip sections of noodles to sear another side.
   • If noodles seem too dry, splash in 1–2 Tbsp water or stock.
5. Once the noodles are soft and slightly browned, return the protein (plus any juices) to the wok.
6. Stir-fry another 30–60 seconds, tossing everything to coat evenly.

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7. Taste & Finish

• Taste a noodle. Add more palm sugar (sweet), tamarind (sour), or fish sauce (salt) if needed.
• Optional: Stir in a handful of Thai basil or scallions at the end.
• Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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8. Serving

• Plate the noodles while hot.
• Garnish with fresh chili, scallions, or a few basil leaves if you like.
• Serve with extra chili flakes or fish sauce on the side.

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Notes & Tips

• Crispy Edges: Let the noodles contact the hot wok without constant stirring. This helps form browned spots.
• Balance: Palm sugar tempers the tartness of tamarind and saltiness of fish sauce; find your perfect ratio.
• Substitutions: Brown sugar in place of palm sugar, extra soy sauce instead of fish sauce (vegan/vegetarian), or bell peppers/carrots for extra veggies.

Enjoy your homemade Cambodian-Thai–style drunken noodles!