Thai Basil Beef (Pad Kra Pao)
This beef stir fry comes together in under 30 minutes for speedy yet delicious meal the whole family will love.
Introduction
Mince is so economical and versatile but often struggles to find its way into anything more adventurous than a Bolognese. Here, it forms the base of a flavour-packed Thai dish and is served over rice and topped with a crispy fried egg. Delicious! Thai basil adds a subtle but delicious aniseed taste to this dish that I love, but regular basil would also work if you can’t get hold of it.
Ingredients
| 250g | long-grain rice |
| 1 tbsp | oil (sesame is best!) |
| 6 cloves of | garlic, minced |
| 1 tbsp | fresh ginger, minced, or 1 tbsp ginger puree |
| 1 | red pepper, sliced |
| 1 | red chilli, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes) |
| 1 | white onion, thinly sliced |
| 500g | beef mince |
| 2 tbsp | dark soy sauce |
| 1 tbsp | oyster sauce |
| 1 tbsp | fish sauce |
| 1 tbsp | brown sugar |
| 6 | spring onions, chopped |
| a handful of | fresh Thai basil leaves, chopped (normal basil will also work!) |
| 4 | fried eggs |
| sesame seeds, to serve |
Method
Wash the rice, then add it to a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for 10–15 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper, chilli and onion and stir fry for a minute until fragrant.
Add the beef mince and cook for 8–10 minutes or until browned and slightly crispy, breaking it up as it cooks, then add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and the sugar. Stir well to coat the mince and let it cook for another 2–3 minutes so the flavours absorb and the vegetables slightly caramelize.
Add in 4 of the chopped spring onions and cook for another minute or two, then turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil leaves. They’ll wilt from the residual heat.
Divide the hot white rice between bowls and scoop over the beef and vegetables. Top with a crispy fried egg. (I like to fry mine in crispy chilli oil!)
Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and the remaining spring onions.
Reviews
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