THE perfect dish for GARLIC LOVERS ! A MUST TRY!

Vegetarians needn’t be disheartened since the dish proves equally delicious when stir-fried with a variety of vegetables OR soya chunks, and can be referred to as ‘Phad Kraphao Che’(‘che’ meaning vegetarian)

Garlic and the Holy Basil being the key ingredients of this mouth-watering dish render the dish a classic flavor. And, of course, the Thai sauces are an equally important part of the dish. The dish is at it’s best when spicy, but for the spice intolerant – it can be added moderately or altogether avoided.

Quick and easy to make! Just 5-10 minutes if all your ingredients are ready to jump into the frying pan.

Accounts for a healthy recipe as well, provided cooking oil is moderately used. The goodness of the ‘basil’ herb medicinal properties, together with the generous use of the natural antibiotic ‘garlic’ in the recipe adds to its health benefits.

‘Phat Kraphao Kai’ is a popular delicacy amongst foreigners in Thailand – its main ingredient being ‘chicken’ like the name suggests(‘kai’ in Thai means chicken), while ‘Phad Kraphao Moo’ is a more preferred choice amongst the local Thai people (‘moo’ in Thai refers to pork).

Nevertheless, vegetarians needn’t be disheartened since the dish proves equally delicious when stir-fried with vegetables OR soya chunks and can be referred to as ‘Phad Kraphao Che’(‘che’ meaning vegetarian). Just replace the ‘oyster sauce’ with thick ‘mushroom sauce’, and ‘fish sauce’ with ‘soya sauce’ – widely available in Thai supermarkets. However, the sauces should be sparingly used in order to reduce fat as well as to make the dish otherwise healthy. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an ingredient best avoided for health purposes, though it is normally used in restaurants to give the dish the perfect balance. It can, however, be conveniently replaced by a correct balance of salt and sugar in the recipe.

This dish is the most common in Thailand, and is available all over – right from the ‘made to order’ food shops on streets to the high-end restaurants and hotels and is normally a safe choice with foreigners who are not familiar with the Thai menu. In Thailand, when you are in a strange town and a strange restaurant, you know that you can always order ‘phad kraphao’ and it will probably be decent.  It’s a simple dish that any restaurant knows how to make it right.

This popular dish is also known among the Thai people as a ‘no-brainer’ dish.  It’s best served with rice, topped with a half-fried egg ! Here’s a quick recipe in case you are able to bring together the ingredients, and would like to try it in your kitchen. Prepare and enjoy !

Recipe :
•    Serves: 1
•    Preparation time: 7 minutes
•    Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Equipment and Utensils
•    Wok or pan
•    Spatula

Ingredients
•    Rice
•    2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
•    2 cloves of garlic
•    1 chicken breast
•    4 tablespoons of oyster sauce
•    2 tablespoons of soy sauce
•    1 teaspoon of black soy sauce
•    1/3 cup of water
•    1/2 cup of fresh basil
•    3 fresh chillies (red or green)

Preparation
•    Chop the garlic into small pieces
•    Cut chicken into ¼ inch slices
•    Pick the fresh basil leaves from the stem
•    Chop the chillies

Cooking
•    Turn on the stove to the medium heat
•    Heat the oil
•    When the oil is hot, add garlic
•    Stir garlic till pink(fragrant), and add the chicken
•    Stir the chicken till cooked
•    If you would like some vegetables, you can add a handful of chopped beans since they blend better with the dish as compared to any other vegetable.
•    Add all the sauces – oyster sauce(sweet), soy sauce(salty), fish sauce(salty) and black soy sauce(sweet- add very little) and stir
•    Add water and stir for about 2 minutes. You can add salt to taste if you feel necessary.
•    Add chillies and basil, stir it couple of times and it’s done

Serve
•    Serve with rice and garnish with fresh basil. Top it with a half-fried egg(‘khai dao’ in Thai) if you like, as it serves a good combination with the dish.
( monosodium glutamate better avoided)