Pad Kra Pao (Basil Pork)

This is by far my favorite Thai dish. It’s my personal yardstick by which I judge every new Thai restaurant on the block by.

Unfortunately, 7/10 times, this recipe trumps it. Trumps it so much that within a week of basil chicken disappointment at a restaurant, I’d have to remake it at home. With a fried egg on top. Always. 

 

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic

• 2 shallots

• 250–300g minced chicken/pork

• 1 chilli padi

• 1 1/4 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)

• 1 big bunch thai basil leaves

• chopped long beans

• 3 dashes of white pepper

Method

1. Heat oil in pan. Add the chopped garlic and shallots into the pan and fry until it smells good.

2. Then add the minced chicken/pork into the pan.

3. Meanwhile, if you like your long beans soft, soak the chopped long beans in some hot water to cook it first. If you don’t, a quick blanch is good to make sure they’re still nice and crispy.

4. Use your wooden spatula to break up the minced meat into smaller lumps while it cooks.

5. When the meat is cooked, add the chilli, beans, sugar, fish sauce and sweet soy sauce. Mix it well.

6. Add in the basil leaves and cook until all the leaves are wilted.

7. Add in the white pepper, and give a final stir.

8. Serve over rice, and topped with a fried egg.

Note: the fried egg is quite essential here. It’s very simple, but trust us, it’s important.