Pad Krapao is a popular Thai street food dish featuring stir-fried meat (often chicken, pork, or beef) with garlic, chilies, and fragrant Thai holy basil.
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Category
Lunch
Servings
4
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Pad Krapao is a popular Thai street food dish featuring stir-fried meat (often chicken, pork, or beef) with garlic, chilies, and fragrant Thai holy basil.
Ingredients
- 500g finely diced beef or beef mince (80/20) (approx. 1 lb)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 bird’s eye chillies
- 1 large red chilli
- 1 bunch holy basil (Thai basil or sweet basil can be used as alternatives)
- 1 lime
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- oil for frying (beef tallow or any neutral-flavoured oil will work)
- 4 eggs
- steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Directions
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, 2 bird’s eye chillies, and the large red chilli (diced). Pound into a paste—it can remain a little chunky.
- To make the Prik Nam dipping sauce, mix together the lime juice, 2 bird’s eye chillies (finely sliced), 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and ½ teaspoon sugar. Set aside for later.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chilli-garlic paste to the beef, stir quickly, then add the fish sauce and sugar. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if the mixture begins to dry out. You’re not making a wet stir-fry, but the beef should be nicely coated in sauce.
- In the last 30 seconds of cooking, add the basil and toss. Then remove from the wok.
- Serve the beef alongside steamed jasmine rice, with the Prik Nam dipping sauce and a crispy fried egg on top.
