Pad Kaprao Gai is arguably the most ordered dish at local food stalls among Thais. You can learn to cook this spicy, stir fry minced chicken with holy basil at our cooking class, or just follow the simple recipe here.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic, coarsely crushed
- 1-10 Thai Bird’s Eye chillies (you know your limit!)
- 250g chicken meat, coarsely chopped or minced
- 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup Thai holy basil leaves
Directions
- Turn on your extractor fan to a full blast about 10 minutes before cooking time to start the ventilation flow efficiently. It’s going to be aromatic…
- Heat the oil in a wok or a saute pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the garlic and chillies. Stir quickly and keep an eye on it.
- Before the garlic turns golden brown and when you are hit with the aromatic punch of fried chillies, add the chicken and stir firmly to break the meat that will start to clump together in the heat.
- When the chicken is about 80% cooked, add the fish sauce, and the 2 soy sauces; stir well to combine.
- Keep stirring and make sure the chicken meat is cooked through. Taste and if you feel like something is missing, add the sugar. It will round out and harmonise the flavour.
- Lastly, add the basil leaves. Stir a few times just to wilt the herbs then turn off the heat.
- Serve on top of steamed rice on a plate, or as a main dish to share. My favourite variation is to add leftover steamed rice into the wok before turn off the heat and mix everything together to make Pad Kaprao fried rice.
