I am a sucker for all sorts of Thai dishes. It’s some of the most fun and delicious food and I have vowed to start making it at home more often. This meant I needed to dust off my wok…ok, it doesn’t collect dust, I use it all the time. Next was to got it roaring hot, much like the spice in this dish.
If you haven’t guessed by now I’m a fan of spicy dishes, and no matter how hot Thai dishes get, there is never too much. Yes. I’m crazy. Don’t get scared however, I didn’t make this meal super spicy on account of everyone else (read: normal palated people). Just add or reduce the chili/sauces to your liking.
I was scoping out some authentic Thai dishes to make when I stubble upon this Thai basil chicken dish. From what I have read it’s a common street vendor meal you can get for lunch or dinner. Street food? Authentic? This was a must try.
According to the gentlemen that provided the original recipe it’s called pad kra pao gai, but Thai basil chicken works for me.
Once you have all the ingredients prepped you won’t believe how super simple this dish is. As a bonus it’s sure to impress anyone that loves stir-fry or Thai. I was shocked at just how delicious this turned out. That is the miracle of Thai cuisine. For those interested, you might want to try searching for holy basil. It’s more traditional and adds flavors that regular Thai basil just can’t compete with. It could be hard/impossible to find in your area, even at an Asian market, but it’s worth it if you can get your hands on some.
All you need to do in cube up some chicken breast and get your wok going on high. The trick with stir-fried dishes is getting that sucker really smoking. Seriously, when you add the oil to the wok it should start to smoke. Just work quickly and you won’t be disappointed.
One fun addition to this meal turned out to be the deep-fried egg which you can serve atop your rice. Oh right, make sure to get your rice cooking if you want it. Anyway, the egg really took the dish to another level, but it is totally optional. Now that I think about it, there is a lot of quality protein here. Thai workout food anyone?
I like runny yolk. It adds a delightful rich and creamy texture to a meal, but feel free to cook the egg to your liking. If you do want it runny, just scoop some oil on the top of the egg as it fries because turning it over in the wok tends to overcook it quite quickly. Set the egg aside and it’s time for the main event.
Add the onions, garlic, chili peppers (if you add them) and saute them for 30 seconds or so. Add your chicken and sauces. Cook until the chicken is done and then toss in a big handful of basil. Just be sure the heat gets turned off when you add the basil. Seriously, the remaining heat will cook it in no time. Just keep stirring for another 30 seconds to get the basil uniformly wilted.
Now it’s time to serve! It’s beautiful and your kitchen is sure to smell wonderful for at least a day, but it just makes you want more. I entered a vicious cycle and cooked this twice in three days because it was just that delicious. I even make extra for lunch leftovers.
I’m not kidding when I say this is a favorite meal. I love it. It’s quick, easy and delicious. The perfect trio.
As a side note: if you don’t want to mess with whole chili and garlic you can try using a garlic chili sauce (like this) found in the foreign section of your grocery store. It won’t have quite the same pizazz, but it will make the process easier.
½ lb of chicken breast, cubed
¼ white onion, diced large
3-4 clove of garlic, minced
3-4 thai chili peppers
1 egg (optional)
2-3 tbsp sesame oil (2 for the egg, 1 extra for the chicken if needed)
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp black soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 handful of thai basil or holy basil (if you can find it)
Prepare chicken, onion, garlic and chili peppers.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a wok on high heat. Deep fry the egg then set aside. Add more oil if needed.
Throw in the onions and cook for a minute, then add garlic and chilis; cook for 20-30 seconds.
Add the chicken and stir every 30 seconds until the chicken in nearly cooked.
Add all the sauces and sugar; finish cooking the chicken.
Turn off the heat (if on an electric stove, move wok to a cold burner) and add the basil. Stir for 20-30 secods and serve over rice and with the fried egg (optional)
Serving this dish with rice is a no-brainer. I have used both jasmine rice and sushi rice that I had laying around. Just be sure the rice is finished before you start this dish or it'll be a long wait.
