I get asked quite often why I like to cook. The first reason I give is normally because I like to eat. I am Thai and food is a big factor in our culture. We greet each other with hello followed by 'have you eaten? When guests turn up at your house it's safe to assume that they will expect to be fed.

The second reason is that as I grew up in the Northeastern part of Thailand, the poorest region, food was always hard to come by. We weren't hungry as there was always rice, but it was difficult finding something to go with rice. Now I do have ingredients to go with rice, I want to cook!

Monday 29 February 2016

Spicy Stir Fried Basil with Beef ผัดกะเพรา.



Spicy Stir Fried Basil with Beef ผัดกะเพรา.

Thai food best kept secret. This is probably the most consumed dish within Thailand but barely known outside. It's classified as a 'one plate dish', where all your meal is served on the one plate, it comes with deep fried egg (Thai meals normally contain many different dishes). It has a 'bad" reputation among Thais, that we only order it when we can't think of anything to eat, but it's actually very delicious.

Get ready for some serious sneezing and coughing (have some tissues handy, open ALL windows, don't have neighbours etc. 😄)

In a wok on high heat, fry
-2-3 cloves crushed garlic, with
-sliced chillies (as many as you dare, this is meant to be extremely spicy, the reason why it comes with deep fried egg)
Stir frying until the mixture is fragrant and you are sneezing and coughing (it's worth it, I promise)
Add 400g thinly sliced beef (normally mince pork in Thailand),
Add seasoning of soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce.
Add 150g basil leaves.
Stir fry until the meat is cooked though.
Add sliced spring onions.

Serve on rice with a deep fried egg for lunch or have it as part of a larger meal for dinner.
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