Passport & Plate - Kai Phat Krapow
Thailand | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 red Thai chilies, crushed (more or less depending on spiciness preference)
2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup long beans, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
1 TBSP soy or tamari sauce
1 TBSP fish sauce
! TBSP chicken stock powder
1/2 TBSP sugar
1 cup Thai basil leaves
2 cups Thai jasmine rice, cooked
How to prepare this recipe1. Heat a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 TBSP of oil to coat the surface.
2. Once oil has heated, stir in garlic and chilies until fragrant. Add in chicken and allow to cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. When chicken is nearly cooked through, add in water and bring to a simmer.
4. Stir in long beans and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes or until tender. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until everything is coated.
5. Remove from heat and add in Thai basil leaves.
6. Pour over cooked jasmine rice and serve. Than h¯i^ xr`xy na (Bon Appetit)!
The story behind this recipeFor this contest, I chose to recreate one of my favourite dishes from my recent trip to Pai, Thailand. While in this quaint hippy village in Northern Thailand my friend and I took a Thai cooking class one afternoon at the Pai Cookery School (rated by Lonely Planet as one of the best). This experience was one of the most memorable of the trip because of my passion for food and travel, but also the story behind it brings a smile to my face. Just writing about that day, takes me back.
It was during Songkran, the Thai New Year, where the entire country turns into one giant water fight. You couldn’t walk down the streets without getting super-soaked! We started getting creative to avoid this, so we would run down random alleys, stumbling upon really interesting shops and street vendors. During one of these hideout missions, my friend and I sought refuge in the Pai Cookery School one day, to enjoy some good food and to stay dry as long as possible! I am fascinated by the food culture in different countries; in Thailand everything is hand-made and fresh, something that we often lack in North America. Learning the Thai technique of cooking is something not many people experience, so I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity.
The Chicken with Holy Basil Leaves (known as Kai Phat Krapow in Thai) was my favourite dish prepared that day as it was incredibly flavourful, yet seemingly easy to make. I have carried the recipe with me through several moves, never finding the perfect opportunity to recreate it, until now! I had such a great time venturing through the local Asian supermarket to find all of the ingredients. My recreation tastes amazing, but there is something missing and I know it must be the absence of the al fresco kitchen, friendly Thai people and hot temperatures. I guess this is the next best thing!
I hope you have as much fun making this dish as I did. The flavour profiles are out of this world!
