Thai Holy Basil Stir Fry with Beef (Pad Kra Pao)
Pad kra pao, also written as pad gaprao, is a popular Thai stir fry of ground meat and holy basil. This beef version is an old-style traditional recipe with a simpler ingredient list; perfect for a quick meal. For a more modern version that may be closer to what your local Thai restaurant serves, see this chicken pad kra pao recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 Thai chilies, or as many as you can handle
- ¼ cup chopped mild red chilies, (see note 1)
- ⅓ cup julienned mild red chilies
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 oz ground beef, regular or lean
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted beef or chicken stock or water
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups holy basil or regular basil leaves, (see note 2)
- Cooked Jasmine rice for serving
- 3 eggs, for fried eggs (1 per person)
- Oil for frying eggs, as needed
Prik Nam Pla (optional condiment)
- 1-2 Thai chilies, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 clove galirc, thinly sliced or chopped (optional)
Notes
- Mild red chilies are for colour and flavour, while the Thai chilies are for heat. Traditionally we use spur chilies (prik chee fa) for the mild peppers, but red anaheim or mini bell pepper will work. Regular red bell pepper flesh is a little thicker and more watery than ideal, but it will also be fine if that's the only thing you have!
- Italian basil is my preferred substitute if holy basil is unavailable. Thai basil can also be used, and the dish will be just as tasty, but I find that the flavour of regular Italian basil is closer to that of holy basil.
Instructions
For the Prik Nam Pla
- Add chopped Thai chilies and garlic into a small bowl, then add the fish sauce and lime juice. Let this sit while you make the stir fry.1-2 Thai chilies, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 clove galirc
For the Stir Fry
- In a mortar and pestle, pound the Thai chilies into a fine paste. Add the garlic and the chopped mild chilies and pound into just a rough paste.6 cloves garlic, 3 Thai chilies, ¼ cup chopped mild red chilies
- Heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat, adding about 1 tablespoon of the oil if your beef is lean. Once the wok is very hot, add the beef and spread it out. Sear the beef without moving it until the underside is browned. Toss the beef, and notice how the beef will start to release quite a bit of liquid - keep stirring until all of this liquid has evaporated, and the beef starts to sizzle in its own fat. Once the beef is sizzling, allow it to cook without stirring for 15-20 seconds to brown the beef further and develop flavour, then toss, and repeat the browning 1-2 more times.12 oz ground beef, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Turn the heat down to medium, push the beef to one side of the pan, and if there isn’t much fat in the pan, add a little bit more oil just so there’s enough to saute the garlic. Add the garlic and chili paste and sauté in the oil for 30 seconds until aromatic and the garlic starts to turn golden, and then toss it with the beef.
- Turn the heat up to high and add about half of the stock or water, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper; toss to mix well. Add the julienned mild chilies and toss for 30 seconds; if it’s looking too dry, add more of the stock or water.⅓ cup julienned mild red chilies, 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted beef or chicken stock or water, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Turn off the heat, add the basil and mix just until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more sugar or fish sauce as needed, and add a little more water or stock if it feels too dry. Set this aside while you fry the eggs.1 ¼ cups holy basil or regular basil leaves
For the Crispy Fried Eggs
- To fry the eggs Thai-style, I recommend frying them 1 at a time to prevent them from sticking to each other. There are 2 options for frying eggs:For crispy whites and semi-set yolk: Add about ¼ inch of frying oil to a small nonstick frying pan and put it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the egg and allow the egg white to bubble. Use a spoon to occasionally baste the top of the egg with oil to cook the yolk. Once the whites are crispy and browned around the edges and the yolk is set to your liking, you can remove it from the pan.For eggs with crispy whites and runny yolk: Separate the egg white and the egg yolk. Add about ¼ inch of frying oil to a small nonstick frying pan and put it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the egg white and let it fry until the edges start to turn brown. Use your spatula to push the middle of the white down to make an indent for the yolk to sit in. Once the egg white is browned around the edges, carefully place the yolk into the indentation, and use a spoon to baste some oil around the edges of the egg yolk to help it stick to the egg white. Remove from the pan and allow to drain.
- To serve, put jasmine rice on a plate, spoon the pad kra pao over half of the rice, and top everything with the fried egg. You can then drizzle the prik nam pla on top of the egg when ready to eat.Cooked Jasmine rice for serving
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