Serves 2-3 people
chilli paste (krapow chilli paste):

20 g dried bird's eye chilli
40 g bird eye's chilli
20 g white peppercorn (toasted)
sprinkle of salt
35 g lemongrass (cut into small sizes)
3-4 pieces coriander roots
100 g thai garlic (peeled)
2 tbsp soybean oil
hot basil sauce:

225 g oyster sauce
1.5 tbsp sugar
1.5 cup water
35 g bird's eye chilli
40 g thai garlic
50 g thai hot basil leaves
100 g soybean oil
chicken breast (brine for 1 hour):

10 pieces chicken breast
100 g salt
60 g sugar
1000 g water
1000 g ice
for garnishing:

couple of thai hot basil leaves

Recipe Courtesy of
Chef Ton

Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)

You smell it in nearly every street in Bangkok – the Krapow Gai, or Basil Chicken Rice is an irresistibly hot and herby Thai one-plate. It’s chock full of Thai herbs such as chili padi, lemongrass, sharp garlic and a special type of basil called holy basil - a hot, peppery purplish veined variant that gives this rice dish its punchy heat. Besides chicken, there’s also beef, pork, seafood and a dizzying number of ingredients you can select from. Here, time is spent more on prepping and pounding the aromatics. Then, a quick stir-fry is all that’s needed for a dish you can tuck into any time of day. Now Thai Michelin-starred chef Ton uses a raw egg for his modern spin on the traditional sunny side-up in this dish..

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation: 60 min
Cook: 5 min
Clean up: 10 min

Steps: 3 steps
21 Ingredients

Difficulty: Medium
Steps: 3 steps
21 Ingredients

Preparation: 60 min
Cook: 5 min
Clean up: 10 min

Instructions

Prepare the chicken breast
- Clean chicken breast thoroughly and cut it into small bite sizes.
- Brine chicken breast with salt, sugar, water and ice for about 1-2 hour before cooking.

Make the chili paste and hot basil sauce
- To make chili paste, add all Ingredients into the mortar and use a pestle to pound roughly.
- After that, quickly roast the chili paste in the hot pan just until fragrant.
- To make Hot basil sauce, start with stir-frying pounded Thai chili and Thai garlic with cooking oil.
- Add oyster sauce, water and season with sugar. Finish by sprinkle Thai hot basil leaves and cool it down.

Stir- fry the chicken
- Start with medium heat. Add cooking oil.
- When the oil is hot, add some prepared chili paste about 1-2 tablespoon. Stir-fry until they get really fragrant.
- Add chicken breast and hot basil sauce, quick fry with high heat.
- Season with fish sauce and Thai hot basil.
- Continue stir-fry until they are fully cooked and turn off the heat.