This is a family favorite. We like to cook it at least once a month at our house (preferably much more often!). Originally, this recipe came from Thaitable. We modify their recipe slightly.
YOU NEED:
2 TBS Vegetable Oil
4 - 7 Thai chili peppers, minced
1 TBS sugar
1 - 2 packages fresh Thai basil
1/2 lb chicken, minced
1 TBS garlic, minced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
a wok is preferable for cooking this dish
Jasmine rice
For sauce:
juice of 1 lemon
equivalent amount of fish sauce
4 or 5 minced Thai chili peppers
We modify the above in the following way: we usually double everything! While this is not true modification so far, we also typically add a bit more garlic than is called for, more Thai chili peppers (at least 10), and 1 - 2 TBS oyster sauce. Occasionally, we add 1 - 3 sliced Asian eggplants right before we add the chicken. We also add a Thai basil curry paste to the ground chicken and let it marinate a few minutes.
PREP
Make your sauce by mixing sauce ingredients above in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mince the garlic and chili pepper. Put in a small bowl together or separate. Set aside.
Thinly slice your carrot (and eggplant, if using) and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
Clean and pick your basil leaves. Pile onto a plate. Set aside.
Measure your sugar, fish sauce, and oyster sauce if using into a small bowl and set aside.
Mince your chicken.
Ingredients should be assembled. We add eggplant to ours as well (if you do this, add it before the chicken and stir a few minutes.)
COOKING!
Fry garlic and chili pepper in oil over high heat.
When garlic begins to brown, add eggplant (if using) and carrot. Stir-fry eggplant a few minutes until softens (add more oil as needed). If only using carrot, proceed immediately to the next step.
Drop chicken in and stir constantly. Keep stirring until all juice is out of chicken and chicken is cooked.
Add sugar, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir fry for a few seconds.
Add Thai basil. Turn it over in the wok to mix through the dish. It will wilt and smell wonderful.
Plate over jasmine rice. Serve with lemon-fish sauce and enjoy!
PICS of the Cooking Process:
