Easy Recipe for Thai style stir-fried vegetables. Vegetables stir fried in oyster and soy sauce. Popularly called as Pad pak ruam in Thailand. Recipe with step by step pictures.
I fell in love with this dish on our trip to Bangkok last year. We ended up ordering this almost every day. Its called as “Pad Pak Ruam” and is nothing but veggies stir fried in an oyster-soy based sauce. The choice of veggies and the flavor from garlic and oyster sauce is really comforting to have along with rice. The trip was a very memorable one. My son kind of lived on this dish as he did not like the funky aroma of fish sauce that is so common in Thai dishes. Fish sauce is umami but even I am not a great fan of fish sauce. I think its an acquired taste. If you have a grudge on someone, try breaking a bottle of fish sauce in their living room. Carpeted floor – now you are talking dude! I promise they will never mess with you again. If you are a vegetarian, you may use vegan oyster sauce or even stir fry sauce works.
Here is my fish sauce hater at grand palace.
Here is how to do stir fry veggies, Thai style.
Veggies:
Select veggies that have varied textures. There are really no rules on the choice of veggies. Just add whatever you like to a plate. We need about 4 cups of diced veggies. I have used baby corn, cabbage, capsicum, carrots and cauliflower. Sugar snap peas and mushrooms adds a nice crunch too! Add it along if you have it.
For the Sauce:
In India, I like the Lee Kum Kee brand of sauces. My favorite Asian chef Martin Yan recommends it. I just so love him. Just watch this video. What a guy!!! The sauces may look expensive but they come for a really long time.
Take a small bowl and add in a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a teaspoon of soy sauce. Add in couple of tablespoon of water, a teaspoon of palm sugar (regular sugar is fine too!) and sliced chillies. Thai chillies are better. I did not have Thai chillies. So I have used the regular chillies.
Stir-Fry:
Place a pan or a wok on high heat. Add in a little oil (peanut or vegetable oil works fine). Add in chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds.
Add in the hard veggies first. I added carrots, corn and cauliflower. Add a couple of tablespoons of water so the veggies cook fast. After about 3 minutes add in the remaining veggies. Cook for a minute more.
Add in the sauce and saute well so the veggies coat well in sauce. Cook for 2-5 minutes to your liking. If you want half cooked crunchy veggies, stop with a couple of minutes. If you want well cooked veggies, cook for a minute or two more.
Note: I have not added any extra salt as the sauces already have salt. Taste the veggies and add salt only if necessary.
Finish off with a sprinkle of thai basil leaves and spring onions. The basil leaves adds a very nice aroma to the stir fry. You may omit it if you cant find basil leaves.
Serve hot with Jasmine Rice or Basmati Rice. Its a meal in itself. A satisfying, healthy and comforting meal.
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 3 sliced Thai red chillies
- ½ teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 4 Cups Veggies
- 3-4 Thai basil leaves
- 2 sprigs spring onions, finely chopped
- Take a small bowl and add in a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a teaspoon of soy sauce. Add in couple of tablespoon of water, a teaspoon of palm sugar and sliced chillies.
- Place a pan or a wok on high heat. Add in a little oil. Add in chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds.
- Add in the veggies (hard veggies first) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sauce and saute well so the veggies coat well in sauce. Cook for 2-5 minutes to your liking.
- Finish off with a sprinkle of thai basil leaves and spring onions.
Ashwitha says
July 7, 2017 at 11:15 pmHi Suguna,where can I get these sauces in bangalore ?
Suguna Vinodh says
July 8, 2017 at 12:45 amI am not sure. I usually do amazon!