Thai Holy Basil Stir-fry | Pad Ka Prao
Thai Holy Basil Chicken - Pad Ka Prao Gai | ผัดกะเพราไก่
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 300-400 g (10.6-14.1 oz) chicken (minced)
- 1 cup Thai holy basil leaves
- 15 cloves of Thai garlic (small)
- 5-7 bird's eye chilies (small)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp seasoning soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 eggs (fried separately)
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Ingredients:
- Mince the chicken or chop up chicken breast or thigh meat into small pieces.
- Pick the Thai holy basil leaves from the stalks and set them aside.
- Cut off the hard bottom of the Thai garlic but do not peel the paper off as it adds a great taste and texture when fried. If using Chinese or Western garlic, peel the garlic first.
- Remove the stalks from the chilies. If using larger bird's eye chilies, cut them into smaller pieces.
2. Make the Garlic and Chili Paste:
- Use a mortar and pestle to smash the garlic and chilies together until they become fragrant and fully blended.
3. Cook the Garlic and Chili Paste:
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili paste, frying it gently to prevent burning and bitterness.
4. Cook the Chicken:
- Add the minced chicken to the pan. Fry until it is 70% cooked.
- Add the oyster sauce, seasoning soy sauce, fish sauce, and palm sugar. If the mixture becomes too dry and sticks to the pan, add a little bit of chicken stock or water.
- Stir-fry everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then turn off the heat.
5. Add the Basil:
- After turning off the heat, immediately add the holy basil leaves to the pan and stir quickly until all the leaves are coated in the sauce.
6. Fry the Eggs:
- In a deep wok, heat plenty of oil. Once the oil is hot, crack the eggs into the oil.
- Use a spoon to scoop the hot oil over the eggs until the whites are crispy and the yolks are medium-rare (lava-like).
7. Serve:
- Serve the Pad Ka Prao Gai hot with steamed rice, topped with the fried eggs.
- For added flavor, consider adding Prik Nam Pla (a Thai condiment) after breaking the egg yolk to elevate the taste.
Enjoy your Thai Holy Basil Chicken - Pad Ka Prao Gai! 🍛🥚🌿