THAI BASIL CHICKEN (Pad Horapha Gai)

This popular Thai dish is peppery, spicy and loaded with lots of this unique exotic flavor from the Thai basil.  The Chicken is stir fried in garlic and red Thai chilies. Delicious brown sauce made of dark soy sauce, thin Thai soy sauce, oyster and fish sauce, served over a bed of jasmine rice.  You will be surprised how quickly this dish comes together with just a few ingredients.

RECIPE NOTES

One of the main ingredients of this dish that makes it authentic is Holy Basil (Krapow). This can be difficult to find. I have used Thai Basil which works well. Thai basil has a slight sweet flavor. You cannot use Italian basil.

I have used Thai red chilies for the spice. These are bird’s eye chilies that are very spicy. I used 2 to give a mild spicy flavor.

I used Thin soy sauce. This is also called Thai light soy sauce and is equivalent of the Chinese light soy sauce.

I also used dark soy sauce. It’s a little sweeter and less saltier than regular soy sauce. But you can use regular soy sauce for this dish.

The Oyster sauce does not have a fish taste. Instead it has a earthy, sweet salty flavor.

Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill and is fermented. You just need a light splash of this sauce to bring all the flavors together.

THAI BASIL CHICKEN (Pad Horapha Gai)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

7 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

Author: Shazia

Recipe type: MAIN

Cuisine: THAI

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
• ½ Red bell pepper, sliced
• ½ onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 small red Thai chilies (adjust to taste)
• hand full of fresh Holy basil or Thai basil
• 1 tbsp. Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Thin Thai soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp. Oyster sauce
• Light splash of Fish sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Lime for garnish
• ½ tbsp. neutral oil

Instructions

1. Have all ingredients ready. Because stir fry technique moves quickly.
2. Pound garlic, red chilies and few basil leaves in mortar and pestle until coarse paste. Set aside
3. In small bowl, mix sauce ingredients dark/thin soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar. Set aside.
4. In a wok or skillet, heat oil. Saute garlic/chili paste for about 15-20 seconds. Just until garlic gets fragrant and little golden brown.
5. Add chicken and sear for about 5 minutes.
6. Add sauce, coat chicken well in sauce. You can add few tbsp. of water or chicken broth to make little gravy.
7. Add bell peppers, onions & basil. Mix and just let the basil wilt.
8. Light splash of fish sauce and squeeze of some lime juice.
9. Serve over boiled jasmine rice.

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