Thai cuisine is famous for its noodles, and one of the popular Thai noodle dishes is pad see ew. It’s stir fried noodles with a very strong soy sauce flavor and has a sweeter and nuttier taste.
While it’s one of the popularly ordered dishes in any Thai restaurant, what bothers gluten sensitive people is its gluten content. If you have landed on this article to find out the gluten status of Pad see ew, then here is the truth you should know.
Pad see ew is a rice noodle, so the noodles are gluten free. But what should bother you is the soy sauce used while making pad see ew. Most soy sauce is made by combining soy and crushed wheat, so it’s not at all safe for celiacs.
So does that mean gluten sensitive people have no way of testing this delicious dish? I didn’t say so. Restaurants and food manufacturing companies have become widely inclusive, so they have gluten free alternatives for almost everything.
Keep reading this article to find out the best way of picking gluten free pad see ew to keep away those gluten side effects.
Table of Contents
Is Pad See Ew Gluten Free?
Pad see ew is gluten free. These are thick rice noodles made of rice flour. Rice isn’t a gluten ingredient, so there is no way of gluten getting added to them. But pad see ew as a whole dish includes so many other ingredients as well, which may not make the dish gluten free.
The main concern is the sauces. The dish is made mainly in soy sauce, which may have gluten. Most soy sauce has crushed wheat and soy, making it unsafe for celiacs. If soy sauce with wheat is used in making pad see ew it will make you sick.
So how do you avoid gluten in the pad see ew? If you are making this Thai dish at home, make sure to buy gluten free soy sauce. These gluten free variants do not have wheat, so there is no risk inducing factor.
But if you are ordering the dish at restaurants, you must ask the staff if they are using a gluten free soy sauce or not. That’s not it. Outside eateries prepare things in shared utensils which puts the risk of cross-contamination, so you have to confirm that with the restaurant as well.
If you are a celiac, I would suggest you avoid eating pad see ew in restaurants because chances are less than a restaurant would use gluten free soy sauce unless they have a special gluten free menu.
So prepare the dish at home and eat without fearing to experience adverse health issues.
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What Is Pad See Ew? What Ingredients Are Used In Making Pad See Ew?
Pad see ew are rice flour noodles. The name pad see ew, translated to fried with soy sauce. The thick rice noodles and soy sauce are the two main ingredients in the dish. Pad see ew has a smoky burnt flavor as the dish is cooked in a wok.
Other ingredients added to the dish are oyster sauce, broccoli, vinegar, sugar, and chicken or egg as preferred. All ingredients are stir fried, and the dark soy sauce is added at the end, which adds caramelized glaze to the dish.
The sweet, sour, and nutty flavor of the dish are what makes it very special.
Is Pad See Ew A Healthy And Nutritious Dish?
Pad see ew isn’t made of flour, so these are slightly healthier than other noodles. Pad see ew is also somewhat lower in calories compared to pad thai. For example, one cup of pad thai noodles has 375 calories while one cup of pad see ew has 255 calories.
But the calorie count may vary depending on what other ingredients are added to the dish. Even though the dish is low in calories, the soy sauce adds a lot of sodium to the dish.
So it’s best to consume pad see ew once in a while rather than making eating it a habit.
Are All Rice Noodles Gluten Free?
Yes, all rice noodles are gluten free since they are made from rice flour. Rice isn’t a gluten grain, and its starch is also free of gluten.
Even though rice noodles are gluten free, other ingredients added while cooking may not keep it so. Soy sauce is a common ingredient in all these dishes, which has gluten so beware of that while eating rice noodles.
Is Pad See Ew Vegan?
Some restaurants add the oyster sauce in pad see ew, which does not make it vegan friendly, but the rest of the ingredients in the dish are not derived from animal substitutes.
Also, chicken and eggs are optional. You can enjoy pad see ew without these as well. If you eliminate oyster sauce, eggs, or chicken from the dish, vegans can also enjoy pad see ew.
Gluten Free Delicious Pad See Ew Recipe: Step By Step Guide
Eating pad see ew at restaurants might not be the safest option for gluten sensitive ones. Most restaurants are likely to use soy sauce with gluten, plus they have the risk of cross-contamination as well.
So why not make this dish in the safe peripheries of your kitchen without having to worry about gluten getting added accidentally. Here is the recipe I follow, and it’s absolutely heavenly.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pad see ew noodles
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 tsp gluten free soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- Vegetable oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1 ½ cup sliced broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce (gluten free)
- 2 eggs
- 4 ounces thinly sliced boneless chicken
Method
- Step one
Toss the chicken with 2 tsp soy sauce and baking soda in a bowl and keep it aside.
- Step two
Take another bowl and mix rice vinegar, 2 tsp soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar.
- Step three
Boil water in a large pot and cook the noodles as per directions. When done, rinse the noodles with cold water. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.
- Step three
Now put the pot back on high heat and bring the water to a boil. Place the chickens in a large strainer and dip them into the boiling water until they become white. Once done, keep the chickens aside in a bowl.
- Step four
Take a walk and pour oil just enough to cover the bottom of it. Turn the flame to high, and when it starts to smoke, add the broccoli and stir fry until the color turns bright green. When you achieve the desired color, keep it aside.
- Step five
Now you have to rinse the wok. Put it back in flame and let it dry. Turn the heat to a high flame, add two tbsp of oil, and add the eggs when it starts to smoke. Scramble the eggs using a spatula and keep them aside. Now add the rice noodles and cook for a minute.
- Step six
Add the sweet soy sauce and cook until the noodles turn brown. Add the scrambled eggs and chicken and give everything a nice toss. Finally, add the sauce we prepared by mixing vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic into the noodles. Give everything a nice stir and serve hot.
Conclusion
To conclude, Pad see ew noodles are gluten free as these are made from rice flour. But I can’t say the same for the dish as a whole since soy sauce is a dominant tastemaker in the dish.
Soy sauce has wheat, which isn’t at all safe for you. Hence, avoid ordering the dish at restaurants and make it in your own kitchen to keep things safe.
FAQs
Are pad thai and pad see ew noodles the same?
Pad thai and pad see ew are quite the same as both of these are rice noodles. The difference lies in the texture. Pad thai is quite thin compared to pad see ew as they are very thick noodles.
What is pad see ew noodles made of?
Pad see ew noodles are made of rice flour. The rice flour is boiled at first, and then the dough is made out of it before giving them the noodle shape.
Is pad see ew celiac safe?
Pad see ew as a dish isn’t quite celiac safe because it’s made with soy sauce. Celiacs can have it if the noodle is prepared in gluten free soy sauce.
Which rice noodles are gluten free?
All rice noodles are gluten free since rice flour isn’t a gluten product. But make sure the noodles are not prepared in any gluten containing sauces to keep them gluten free.
