Pad Krapow Recipe (Thai Basil Chicken)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3–5 bird's eye chillies
• 350 g minced chicken (or finely chopped thigh)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (not counted)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• A big handful of holy basil (or Thai basil)
• 150 g jasmine rice (cooked, to serve)

Method

1. 1Cook the rice. Pound the garlic and chillies to a rough paste, or chop them finely.
2. 2Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and fry the garlic and chillies for 20 seconds.
3. 3Add the chicken and stir-fry, breaking it up, for 3–4 minutes until cooked.
4. 4Add the soy, oyster and fish sauces, sugar and 2 tbsp water and toss for a minute.
5. 5Turn off the heat, stir in the basil until it wilts, and serve over rice.

Pad krapow recipe: nutrition per serving

One of 2 servings. Estimated from the ingredient weights above and per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy); brands and cooking change the real numbers. Not counted, because USDA SR Legacy has no record for them: oyster sauce.

Tips

• For the classic fried egg (khai dao), fry it in hot oil until the edges are brown and crisp and the yolk is still runny, then slide it onto the rice.
• Holy basil (krapow) is peppery and different from sweet Thai basil; use whichever you can find.
• Keep the heat high so the chicken fries rather than stews.

Swaps and variations

• Pescatarian: use prawns or squid.
• Vegetarian: use crumbled tofu and mushroom 'oyster' sauce.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge, though the basil darkens.