O Pad Pak Jae Recipe

Wash & cut

Wash all vegetables thoroughly. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets, slice carrot on the diagonal into thin pieces, slice bell pepper into 1/4" strips, halve baby corn lengthwise if large, trim snow peas, slice mushrooms, and thinly slice the onion. Mince garlic and cut green onion into 1" pieces.

Mix the sauce: in a small bowl combine light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), sugar, water or vegetable stock, and cornstarch. Stir until cornstarch dissolves. Add sesame oil and white pepper; set aside.

Heat wok

Place a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Heat until shimmering but not smoking (about 30–45 seconds on high).

Aromatics

Add the minced garlic and sliced onion to the wok. Stir-fry for 20–30 seconds until fragrant and the onion begins to soften. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Cook harder vegetables first

Add the carrot and broccoli florets. Stir-fry for 1.5–2 minutes, tossing constantly so they sear but remain bright and crisp. If they brown too quickly, reduce heat slightly.

Add remaining vegetables

Add bell pepper, baby corn, mushrooms, and snow peas. Continue stir-frying for 1.5–2 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp—still vibrant and with a slight bite.

Add sauce

Give the prepared sauce a quick stir (the cornstarch may have settled) and pour it over the vegetables. Toss quickly to coat. The sauce will thicken within 30–60 seconds and glaze the vegetables. If the sauce becomes too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water to loosen.

Finish

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or additional soy sauce if needed. Stir in the green onion pieces and a final drizzle of sesame oil. Toss once more.

Serve immediately over steamed rice or alongside your favorite Thai dishes. Leftovers keep 2–3 days refrigerated in an airtight container; reheat briefly in a skillet to retain texture.