Pad Kra Pao Gai: Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

One of the perks of living in Thailand is the vibrant, flavorful and diverse food selection the country has to offer. You know what? Up to this day, I could still not believe anyone could whip up a bowl of fulfilling carb load goodness in just a few minutes. Literally mind blown. 

To get the recipe, I first suppressed the glutton in me; then hunted down the best Pad Kra Pao food cart - that I know of (found it right beside my condominium). And watched (creepily) how the vendor skillfully flips her wok and throw ingredients at it in a rhythmic fashion. Let me tell you, Piccasso is nothing compared to the art those street vendors make.

Pad Kra Pao Gai Recipe Ingredients 1 egg 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 1 chicken breast (or any other cut of boneless chicken, about 200 grams) 2-3 red chilies (thai or labuyo) 6 cloves of garlic 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 teaspoon of oyster sauce 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 2 splash of dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 handful of Thai holy basil leaves Procedure 1. Cut the chicken into small cubes. 2. Peel garlic. Using mortar and pestle, pound both garlic and chillies together. This will bring the oils out and infuse the flavors of the two better. 3. Let's get cookin'. Fry egg with vegetable oil. Set aside. 4. Heat your wok or frying pan on medium high heat, and add about 2 tablespoon of oil to the pan. 5. When the oil is hot, throw in the chilies and garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds or so until they are soft and fragrant, be careful not to burn the garlic. We don't want that in this recipe. 6. Crank the heat up. Toss in those chicken cubes and stir fry continuously until the pieces are fully cooked. If ever at some point it dried out, keep calm and just splash a tiny bit of water. 7. Add sugar, light soy, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce in the mix. Stir for 40 seconds. 8. Pluck a handful of holy basil, toss it into your wok or pan, fold it into the chicken, then immediately turn off the heat. This will preserve its wonderful and oh-so enticing aroma. 9. To assemble, rice goes at the very bottom, pad kra pao on the side and runny egg on top. Enjoy! **You can adjust your chillies depending on your spicy meter **Make sure you have a plate of steamy and piping hot rice on hand