Rad na or rat na, is a Thai-Chinese noodle dish with wide rice noodles stir-fried in a pan, with meat such as chicken, beef, pork, or with seafood or tofu, garlic, straw mushrooms, and gai lan, which is Chinese broccoli.
The name refers to pouring (raad) the sauce over the “face” (na) of the noodles.
The dish is then topped with a sauce made from broth and tapioca starch or cornstarch, seasoned with soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper.
In Thailand, people often sprinkle the dish with extra sugar, fish sauce, sliced chilies preserved in vinegar, and ground dried chilies.
There are variations, such as using rice vermicelli instead of wide noodles and using fried thin egg noodles (mi krop), with the sauce poured over to soften them.
In areas where gai lan is not readily available, broccoli and cabbage are often used as substitutes.
Rad na was originally cooked in China, prepared only in luxurious restaurants where it was very successful. The Teochew (native Chinese of the Chaoshan region) began to cook and sell it to the working class, and its popularity spread to Thailand.
This is the shrimp version tasted at the beach bar restaurant in Koh Lanta “Boogie bay” during our trip in November 2024.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz rice noodles (dishes)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 7 oz protein (meat or tofu or seafood)
- 3.5 oz Chinese broccoli (thinly sliced – or broccoli)
- 1 cup broth
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- to taste white pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- to taste vegetable oil
Steps
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Add the rice noodles, spread them out, and let them cook for a few seconds. Then stir-fry and let them cook for another 30 seconds. Once the noodles start to cook at the edges, add the dark soy sauce and stir-fry for another half minute. Transfer the noodles to a serving plate.
In the same pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the protein and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the Chinese broccoli and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Add the broth, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper.Mix to combine and simmer for about a minute. Then add the cornstarch mixture mixed with 2 tablespoons of water.
Simmer for another minute until it becomes thick and glossy.
Pour the hot mixture over the noodles.
