When hubby and I were on a short getaway to attend his medical conference in Bangkok last year, we had the privilege to enjoy the local, authentic Thai food. One of the dishes that brings me the most vivid memories was none other than “Pat Gra-Prao Moo Sap Kai Daao”, literally translates as Thai minced pork with holy basil. Usually this dish is served with ground pork, but I have seen some restaurants serving it with chicken and beef as well.
Honestly speaking, not everyone likes the pleasantly pungent flavour of basil, particularly hubby. But I, on the other hand, fell in love with its sweet and earthy aroma. Besides that, basil is also considered one of the healthiest herbs as it contains a vast variety of nutrients. Out of the blue, I was craving for this dish and therefore, I decided to try preparing it.
I didn’t even know how easy cooking this dish could be, until I prepared it myself. And of course, I needed to get the right ingredients to cook it perfectly. Surprisingly, hubby loved it and he even ate the basil leaves (totally unbelievable).
Thai Basil Pork Recipe
Serves: 2-3 pax / Prep Time: 5 mins / Cook Time: 10 mins / Level of Difficulty: Simple
Ingredients
- 250g minced pork
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 shallots (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 cup basil leaves (lower stems removed)
- 4 bird’s eye chillies (chopped)
- 3 dashes white pepper
- Canola oil
Sauce
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
2. Add canola oil on a non-stick frying pan and heat it over a medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Do a quick stir-fry until aromatic.
3. Add the minced pork into the pan and break the meat into small pieces using wooden spatula. Stir-fry until the minced pork is nearly cooked.
4. When the meat changes colour, add in the bird’s eye chillies and sauce into the pan. Stir frequently to ensure it is well-mixed.
5. Before taking the pan off the heat, add the basil leaves to the pan and do a quick stir until the leaves are wilted and you can smell the fragrance from the basil leaves.
6(a). Add in the white pepper and do a final stir before removing it from the heat. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.
6(b). Alternatively, this dish is also best to be served as a topping for a silken bean curd.
NOTES:
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