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! 🍛🥚🌿