Lad Na Recipe (Thai Noodles with Gravy)
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If you’ve ever had lad na in Thailand and couldn’t quite recreate that same taste at home, this recipe will show you how. The texture of the gravy and how the noodles are cooked make a bigger difference than you’d expect.
What readers say:
“Very good recipe. The rad na I used to eat in Bangkok had a lot more sweet soy sauce in the gravy, but other than that, spot on! My wife and son loved it! Thank you very much!“
— Mike
What is lad na?
Lad na (rad na) is a Thai noodle dish made with wide rice noodles, meat or seafood, and a thick, savory gravy. It has a mild, rich flavor and is served with Chinese broccoli, with hot gravy poured over stir-fried noodles.
The noodles used are called sen yai, the same wide rice noodles used in pad see ew.
It’s a popular street food in Thailand, made fresh to order and served hot right away.
Before you start
If you’ve never made this before, the gravy is usually the part that feels a bit unclear.
The texture matters more than anything here. You’re looking for something smooth and glossy that coats the noodles, not too thick, not too watery.
It also comes down to timing. How you cook the noodles and when you finish the gravy will decide how it turns out, but you’ll get a feel for it pretty quickly once you’ve done it once.
Praew ♡
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
You can find everything at Asian grocery stores or markets. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
For the marinade
- Pork: Pork loin or shoulder works best. You want a bit of fat for flavor, but you can also swap in chicken, beef, seafood, or tofu.
- Oyster sauce: This is where a lot of the savory flavor comes from. It adds depth with a slight sweetness.
- Tapioca starch: Helps keep the meat tender and juicy. Cornstarch works too if that’s what you have.
- Palm sugar: Adds a deep caramel-like, more rounded sweetness than white sugar.
- Egg: Gives the meat a softer texture and helps everything coat evenly.
For the noodles and gravy
- Fresh flat rice noodles (sen yai): These are the noodles used for lad na. Fresh ones give the best texture, soft but still slightly chewy. If you can’t find them, soaked dry noodles work too.
- Dark soy sauce: Mainly for color and a light sweetness. This is what gives the noodles that darker look.
- Chinese broccoli: The signature vegetable in this dish. The stems are quite thick, so peel them so they stay tender.
- Soybean paste: Adds depth to the gravy. It’s optional, but this is one of those ingredients that makes it taste more like the real thing. Get it on Amazon.
- Light soy sauce: Used for seasoning the gravy.
- Rosdee seasoning powder: This is what gives it that extra savory flavor you often taste in Thailand. Use the flavor that matches your protein. Order it here.
- Tapioca starch: This is what thickens the gravy.
- Eggs: Added to the gravy for a softer, silkier texture.
- Water: Forms the base of the gravy.
- White pepper: Adds a gentle heat that works really well with the mild gravy.
- Garlic: Cooked at the start to build the base flavor of the dish.
How to make lad na
1. Marinate the pork. In a bowl, mix the egg with palm sugar, oyster sauce, and tapioca starch, then add the sliced pork. Stir until everything is well coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have time.
2. Prepare the gravy base. In a separate bowl, mix the soybean paste, light soy sauce, white pepper, and rosdee seasoning powder until combined.
3. Mix the slurry. In another small bowl, mix the tapioca starch with about 100 ml water until smooth. Set this aside for later, this is what thickens the gravy.
4. Stir-fry the noodles. Toss the fresh rice noodles with dark soy sauce, then stir-fry them in a hot wok for 1–2 minutes. You’re just warming them and giving them a bit of char. Remove the noodles from the pan and set aside.
If you’re using dry noodles, soak them first according to the package.
5. Start the gravy. In the same wok, heat oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden.
6. Add water and protein. Add the water and bring it to a boil, then add the marinated pork. Spread it out so it cooks evenly.
7. Build the sauce. Pour in the gravy base (step 2) and stir gently. The egg will form soft strands, that’s what gives the gravy that silky texture.
8. Add broccoli. Add the Chinese broccoli and let it cook briefly until just tender but still bright.
9. Thicken the gravy. Give the starch mixture a quick stir, then pour it in while stirring. The sauce will need about a minute to turn into a smooth, glossy gravy.
10. Serve. Place the noodles on a plate and pour the rad na sauce over the top. Try to get a bit of everything in each serving. Serve right away while it’s still hot.
Serving tip: I like to add some green onions on top and serve it with chili flakes, fried garlic, and prik nam som so everyone can season it to their taste.
How to store
If you have leftovers, try to keep the noodles and gravy separate if you can. It helps the texture stay much better when you reheat it.
The gravy will thicken in the fridge, so when you warm it up, just add a splash of water and heat it gently until smooth again.
For the noodles, you can either microwave them or quickly warm them in a hot pan. Once everything is hot, pour the gravy over just before serving.
Final note
Lad na has its roots in Chinese cooking, brought to Thailand by the Teochew community and adapted over time into a Thai street food dish. There isn’t just one way to make it, every family does it a bit differently, but this is the version I made at my Thai restaurant, and it’s one people really loved.
Lad Na Recipe (Thai Noodles with Gravy)
Equipment
- cutting board and knife
- Mixing bowls (To marinate the meat and prepare the gravy and slurry.)
- Wok or large skillet
- spatula
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 300 g pork, thinly sliced
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
For the noodles and gravy
- 600 g fresh wide rice noodles, if using dry noodles, use a little less than half the weight of fresh noodles
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 l water, for the gravy
- 200 g Chinese broccoli, stems peeled, leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp soybean paste
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rosdee seasoning powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 100 ml water, for mixing with tapioca starch
Instructions
Marinate the pork
- In a bowl, mix the egg with palm sugar, oyster sauce, and tapioca starch. Add the sliced pork and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Prepare the gravy base
- In a bowl, mix soybean paste, light soy sauce, white pepper, and seasoning powder until combined.
- In a separate small bowl, mix tapioca starch with 100 ml water until smooth. Set aside.
Stir-fry the noodles
- Toss the fresh rice noodles with dark soy sauce. Stir-fry in a hot wok for 1–2 minutes until warmed through with a bit of char. Set aside. (If using dry noodles, soak them first.)
Cook the gravy
- Heat oil in the wok over medium heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- Add water and bring to a boil, then add the marinated pork and spread it out to cook evenly.
- Pour in the gravy mixture and stir gently. The egg will form soft strands, giving the sauce a silky texture.
- Add the Chinese broccoli and cook briefly until just tender.
- Stir the starch mixture, then pour it in while stirring. Cook until the sauce thickens into a smooth, glossy gravy.
- Place the noodles on a plate and pour the hot gravy over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
- Noodles: Fresh wide rice noodles give the best texture. If you can’t find them, soaked dry noodles or even rice vermicelli works too.
- Protein: Pork is the most common, but you can easily switch it up with chicken, beef, tofu, or seafood depending on what you have.
Very good recipe. The rad na I used to eat in Bangkok had a lot more sweet soy sauce in the gravy, but other than that, spot on! My wife and son loved it! Thank you very much!
Hey Mike,
I’m glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for leaving a comment.