Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry)

Ingredients

• 320 g Ground beef
• Holy basil or Thai basil (At least 1 good handful; pick the leaves from the stems. Use Thai basil if holy basil is unavailable.)
• 6 Thai chiles (Use 4–8 depending on spice tolerance. Slice 1–2 into thin rounds and roughly chop the remainder.)
• 2 Red chili (Use larger, milder red chiles; julienne one and roughly chop the other.)
• 3 large cloves Garlic (Roughly chop 2 cloves for the chili paste and mince the remaining clove for the prik nam pla.)
• 200 g Jasmine rice (Unwashed, for a stickier finish.)
• 25 g Fish sauce (For the optional prik nam pla.)
• 1 Lime (Juice the lime for the prik nam pla.)
• White sugar (Optional, to sweeten the prik nam pla to taste.)
• 25 g Fish sauce (For seasoning the beef stir-fry; add with the stock and sugar.)
• 20 g Palm sugar (White sugar may be substituted.)
• 100 ml Chicken stock (Add gradually so the stir-fry remains relatively dry rather than soupy.)
• 250 ml Water (For cooking the jasmine rice.)
• 2 Eggs (Fry at relatively high heat for crispy edges.)
• Neutral oil (For high-heat stir-frying and frying the eggs; avocado oil is suggested. Use a generous amount for the eggs.)
• Salt (Use a little as an abrasive when grinding the chili-garlic paste, and season as needed.)
• Black pepper (To taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all ingredients before heating the wok, since the stir-fry cooks very quickly. Julienne one of the larger, milder red chiles. Slice 1–2 Thai chiles into thin rounds, and roughly chop the remaining Thai and red chiles.

2. 2

   Make the chili-garlic paste in a pestle and mortar. Add the roughly chopped chiles and 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves, then grind to a coarse paste, using a little salt as an abrasive.

3. 3

   Pick the basil leaves from their stems. Mince the remaining garlic clove and keep the basil, minced garlic, sliced chiles, julienned chile, paste, stock, fish sauce, and sugar close to the cooking area.

4. 4

   For the optional prik nam pla, combine the sliced chile rounds, minced garlic, 25 g fish sauce, and the juice of the lime. Add a little white sugar if desired, then taste and adjust. Let it rest while preparing the rest of the meal; the flavor improves as it sits.

5. 5

   Add the unwashed jasmine rice and 250 ml water to a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

6. 6

   As soon as the rice reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 8 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Keep covered off the heat if it finishes before the stir-fry.

7. 7

   Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add enough neutral oil to coat the pan, then wait until the oil is hot and shimmering.

8. 8

   Add the ground beef to the hot pan. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.

9. 9

   Add the chili-garlic paste to the browned beef. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the garlic and chiles are fragrant.

10. 10

    Add the julienned red chile and stir-fry briefly to soften it while retaining some texture.

11. 11

    Add the chicken stock a little at a time, followed by the remaining 25 g fish sauce and the palm sugar. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the liquid to reduce until the beef is glossy but the stir-fry remains relatively dry rather than soupy.

12. 12

    Add the basil leaves to the pan. Toss through the beef and cook for about 30 seconds, just until the basil wilts and becomes intensely fragrant. Remove the stir-fry from the heat.

13. 13

    Heat a clean frying pan over relatively high heat and add a generous amount of neutral oil. Add the eggs and fry until the whites are set and the edges are deeply crisp and lacy; the yolks may remain runny if desired.

14. 14

    Divide the jasmine rice between two plates. Top with the basil beef and a fried egg, and serve immediately with the optional prik nam pla.

Notes

The original recipe specifies 50 g total fish sauce; 25 g is used in the optional prik nam pla and the remainder in the stir-fry. Add stock gradually to preserve the relatively dry texture. The recipe recommends serving immediately. Nutritional estimates exclude the unquantified cooking oil, salt, pepper, and optional prik nam pla sugar.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stir-fried
• Thai
• spicy
• beef
• rice
• basil
• egg