Pad Krapow
My sister Rachel lived in Thailand for a time and while there she learnt to cook the most mouthwatering curries, stir fries, salads and soups, using the Thai principles of balancing salty, spicy, sweet and sour flavours. This stir fry is probably my absolute favourite Thai food. Unfortunately it can’t be adapted to be vegetarian because of the fish and oyster sauces but you can make it pescatarian by using prawns in place of the chicken.
I have a far lower tolerance for spicy food now than I used to - my tastebuds have changed quite dramatically since I stopped drinking alcohol a few years ago; flavours are sharper, clearer and stronger - and so my recipe below lists three chillies whereas my sister’s calls for 6 - 10 chillies which is certainly more authentically Thai but too hot for me! I’m sure you know your own preference of spiciness and will adapt the number of chillies to suit you.
For my sister’s version - and all her other delicious recipes too - click here to visit her blog.
Serves 2, total cooking time 20 minutes
Ingredients
100g plain rice
Neutral oil
2 chicken breasts, minced (or 150g king prawns)
3 small red birds eye chillies, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, squashed and finely chopped
One red pepper, sliced
A handful of sliced mushrooms
Half a chicken or vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
A handful of Thai holy basil leaves (if you can find them. If not, I’ve been reliably informed that Mediterranean basil can be used instead).
Method
This comes together very quickly so put the rice on first and mince and chop and the other ingredients while that’s cooking. I cook my rice in boiling water for 12 minutes, drain and then return to the pan (off the heat) with a lid on to steam and keep warm while cooking the stir fry.
Heat a wok and add a glug of oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken / prawns and stir fry for a few minutes until the meat is sealed before adding the garlic, chillies, red pepper and mushrooms. Cook for a minute, stirring all the time, while the scent of garlic and chillies fills the kitchen.
Add 100ml of water, crumble in the half of a stock cube and the rest of the ingredients except for the holy basil leaves. Cook for two or three minutes until the vegetables have softened slightly.
Tear the holy basil leaves from the stalks and add to the pan, then remove from the heat and stir in the leaves until they wilt. Serve immediately with the rice.