Pad Priew Wan: Thai Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry

It is a Thai sweet and sour stir-fry. In Chef Thanakorn’s chicken version, pineapple, cucumber, tomato, onion and peppers go into a sauce seasoned with ketchup and chilli sauce. T1

Say roughly “pat pree-ow waan”. This English approximation leaves out Thai tones.

Pad means stir-fry, priew means sour and wan means sweet. Together they name a sweet and sour stir-fry, written ผัดเปรี้ยวหวาน. T1

Yes. The two spellings represent the same Thai name. Charm Thai Cafe writes Pad Preaw Wan on its menu.

Pholfoodmafia describes it as influenced by Chinese cooking. The cited recipes show how Thai cooks prepare it and leave its first maker and date open. T1 T2

The chicken here goes straight into the wok. In Phol Tantasathien’s Chinese-style pork recipe, the meat is coated and fried separately before it meets a ketchup, plum sauce and vinegar mixture. T1 T3

Expect sweetness and tang from the fruit and sauce, with a savoury base. The chicken version here has some warmth from chilli sauce and ground white pepper. T1

It depends on the recipe and the chilli sauce. The main recipe includes chilli sauce. Suwanee’s rice-vinegar version gives you a separate option without that ingredient. T1 E1

In the main recipe it reduces just enough to coat the ingredients. Wandercooks uses a cornflour slurry for a thicker glaze. T1 E3

Pineapple and the prepared sauces contribute sweetness in Chef Thanakorn’s version. Suwanee adds granulated sugar to her rice-vinegar dressing. T1 E1

It varies with the sauce. Pineapple, tomato and ketchup bring tang to the main recipe. Other versions use rice vinegar or tamarind purée. T1 E1 E2

The overall flavour comes from the fruit, vegetables and savoury seasonings. Chef Thanakorn specifies chilli sauce and ketchup as two ingredients. T1

Chef Thanakorn’s chicken recipe uses ketchup and chilli sauce. World of Thai Food uses tamarind purée in a separate pork version. T1 E2

Use a recipe built for that flavour. Suwanee’s version uses rice vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. E1

Use the proportions of a tamarind recipe. Tamarind purée provides acidity, while ketchup contributes both tang and sweetness to Chef Thanakorn’s sauce. T1 E2

Fish sauce is part of the Suwanee and World of Thai Food recipes. Chef Thanakorn uses oyster sauce, light soy sauce and seasoning sauce. T1 E1 E2

The recipe lists seasoning sauce separately from light soy and gives no dark soy quantity. Buy a Thai seasoning sauce, then check its own label and strength. T1 U4

For the main recipe, you can measure the seasonings together before cooking and keep the water separate. Suwanee specifically mixes her own sauce in a bowl first. T1 E1

Yes. Choose chunks in juice and drain them for a home adaptation. Taste the sauce before adding juice, which adds both liquid and sweetness. E1 E4

Add it with the other vegetables in Chef Thanakorn’s version. Suwanee puts it in at the end with the spring onions. T1 E1

Yes. Brief cooking keeps some bite. Chef Thanakorn removes part of the seed core and cuts the cucumber into pieces before it goes in. T1

It reduces the wet centre added to the pan. Chef Thanakorn uses deseeded tomato and cucumber in this recipe. T1

Yes. Three colours are specified in the source for the mix. One sweet pepper colour is a straightforward home adaptation. T1

Cut the spring onions into short lengths and add them last. They need only brief contact with the heat in the main recipe. T1

A roomy frying pan is a practical alternative. Use enough surface area for the chicken and vegetables to cook without piling up. E1

In this home recipe, sliced chicken cooks directly with the garlic and oil. A separately coated preparation has a different method and texture. T1 T3

Dice the fruit and vegetables, cut the spring onions and measure the sauces. Slice the chicken on a separate board and wash hands and equipment after handling it. T1 U1

Add it after the chicken is cooked through, then add the seasonings and reduce the sauce briefly. T1 U1

In the main recipe the sauce goes in first. The vegetables and pineapple follow after it thickens slightly. T1

Use a clean food thermometer in the centre of a thick piece. One Food Standards Agency combination is 75°C held for 30 seconds. U1

Yes, as a home adaptation. Slice boneless thigh evenly and check the thickest pieces with a clean thermometer. T1 U1

Yes. Chef Thanakorn names pork as an option, and World of Thai Food publishes a pork tenderloin version with its own tamarind sauce. T1 E2

Yes. Chef Thanakorn lists prawns as an alternative. Use a method appropriate to prawns and check crustacean allergy requirements separately. T1 U1

Yes. Fish is one of Chef Thanakorn’s suggested alternatives. Choose firm pieces and turn them gently so they stay intact. T1

Firm tofu is an option for a home adaptation. Pat it dry and brown it separately if you want firmer edges. Check every sauce for animal ingredients if cooking vegan. T1 E5

Yes. Thai Cookbook TV publishes a vegetable-led version with its own sauce. Check its oyster sauce before using it for a vegetarian meal. E5

Yes. It uses conventional oyster sauce. Check the specific bottle and any alternatives against the allergy requirements of the person eating. T1

Check fish sauce, prepared seasonings and any protein choices. Suwanee’s sauce contains fish sauce. At a restaurant, explain the allergy before ordering and ask about preparation. E1

Check the complete recipe. Soy sauce, seasoning sauce, oyster sauce and prepared sauces can differ by brand. For coeliac disease, check gluten-free labelling and how the food is prepared. T1 U4

It can be if the sauces and complete preparation are suitable. Conventional oyster and fish sauces need suitable plant-based replacements where used. T1 E1

The main recipe includes light soy sauce. Check the seasoning sauce and other prepared products too, and discuss preparation with the person cooking. T1

The kitchen is shared and handles allergens. Tell the team about allergies or coeliac disease before ordering so they can discuss ingredients and preparation.

Plain jasmine rice is a good choice. It takes up the sauce and gives the sweet, sour and savoury flavours room to stand out. E1

The source specifies 150 g of chicken breast before cooking. It gives no serving count, so use the measured quantities when planning your meal. T1

Yes. Cut them and refrigerate them covered. Keep raw chicken separately in the fridge so its juices cannot drip onto produce or cooked food. U2

Yes. Scale the ingredients together and cook in batches if the pan is crowded. Bring each batch through the full cooking and temperature check. T1 U1

Serve it when the vegetables are still firm and the sauce coats the chicken. A long hold in the hot pan softens cucumber and tomato. T1 E5

Offer fresh chilli separately or choose a hotter chilli sauce when cooking. Taste first, as prepared chilli sauces vary in sweetness as well as heat. T1 E2

A crowded pan, undrained pineapple or wet vegetable centres can contribute extra liquid. Drain and prepare the produce, then let the sauce reduce slightly before the vegetables go in. T1

They were probably in the pan too long. Cut them evenly and add them late so they heat through while keeping some bite. T1 E5

Taste it before adding the vegetables and make small changes. A few drops of rice vinegar can add tang to a home adaptation. Use a separate recipe if you want vinegar as the main souring ingredient. E1

Add a little water if the sauce is over-concentrated, then taste again. Suwanee’s version suggests a small touch of sugar as another final adjustment. E1 E4

Slice it evenly, use a roomy pan and avoid extended cooking once the safety check is met. The sauce and vegetables need only brief cooking afterwards. T1 U1

Reduce the sauce a little before adding the vegetables. If you want a cornflour-thickened sauce, use the method and proportions in the Wandercooks version. T1 E3

A figure depends on the recipe, cooked portion and whether you include rice. Use the weights and yield of the particular version if you want to calculate it.

Divide it into smaller portions, cool and refrigerate within one to two hours. Keep the fridge at 0°C to 5°C and use the stir-fry within 48 hours or freeze it. U2

Yes. Freeze it promptly once cooled and defrost it in the fridge. Use it within 24 hours of fully defrosting. Cucumber and tomato may soften. U2

Reheat the stir-fry only once, until steaming hot throughout. Stir partway through when microwaving so there are fewer cold spots. U1 U2

Cool cooked rice as quickly as possible, ideally within an hour. Refrigerate it for no more than 24 hours before reheating once, until steaming hot throughout. U3

Find Thai Sweet & Sour Stir Fry on the stir-fry menu. Check current protein choices there and tell the team about any dietary requirements before ordering.