thailandTheSpiceOdysseyAugust 29, 2020Khao Pad Kaphrao

Spicy Basil Fried Rice

thailandTheSpiceOdysseyAugust 29, 2020Khao Pad Kaphrao

I love a good fried rice, even better if it is Thai. There are many regional varieties of fried rice in Thailand — pineapple fried rice, coconut fried rice, curry fried rice and my personal favorite basil fried rice, otherwise known as Khao Pad Kaphrao or Gaprao. This is actually two popular Thai dishes combined into one — Khao Pad, which literally means fried rice and Pad Kaphrao/Pad Gaprao, a spicy stir fry with holy basil.

Thai fried rice has flavors that are radically different than the common Chinese fried rice, which most of us are more accustomed to eating. Although fried rice originated in China, as it spread across Asia, local cooks added regional ingredients and seasonings. In Thailand, that means local ingredients such as jasmine rice, bird’s eye chili, garlic and fish sauce, the addition of which I personally think makes fried rice even better!

Pad Kaphrao — Stir Fry with Holy Basil

This is a traditional Thai stir-fry which combines minced meat or seafood with holy basil and other local ingredients which is then served over rice, usually with a crispy fried egg on top. It is unquestionably one of the most popular lunch dishes in Thailand and interestingly enough, it is also ranked as the fourth most common dish ordered by tourists. In Thailand, pad kaphrao is equivalent to a sandwich or burger in the West. You can find it at a simple street side restaurant or in a food court, where many vendors will make it fresh right in front of you.

By some accounts, pad kaphrao was included as part of Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram's Thai cultural mandates during WWII. Along with pad thai, and som tum, pad kaphrao is also considered to be one of the national dishes of the country. With the culture of eating based on nationalism, the recipe for pad kaphrao has evolved and deviated several times over the last 50 years. In order to cut costs, different vegetables such as yardlong beans and baby corn ended up in the dish, although it is generally disliked by the locals. As the popularity of this dish grew in the West and it became a go to lunch favorite, instead of serving it over rice, many local Thai restaurants picked up this trend of combining the rice in the stir fry itself turning it into what we know as Thai spicy basil fried rice.

This is usually on the table during a typical get-together at my house when I throw down all my favorite Asian dishes, so those of you that have been over most likely have had the spicy basil fried rice before at least once. I even recall one of our friends going “mmm what is this delicious fried leaf?”, referring to the holy basil. To be honest, I can say it with pride that fried rice is one of those dishes I have perfected. I have several good recipes under my belt and this is just one of them!

Recipe: Khao Pad Kaphrao

Serves: 2

Preparing the Meat

Chicken Breast - ½ lbs
Light Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
White Pepper - ¼ tsp

Slice the chicken breast really thin, in bite size pieces. Combine the chicken with the light soy sauce and white pepper. Set aside for later.

Note: For this recipe, I like to use chicken breast, but feel free to use chicken thighs or beef, pork, seafood or any combination of protein of your preference.

The Fried Rice Sauce

Fish Sauce - 1 tsp
Light Soy Sauce - 2 tsp
Dark Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Seasoning Liquid - 1 tsp, I have several at home but I highly recommend Maggi
Oyster Sauce - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

Combine all the ingredients and set aside.

Note: If you are new to cooking Thai food or Asian food in general, here are two cooking sauce kits to get you started - essential set and professional set.

Thai Crispy Eggs | Kai Dao

Thai fried eggs are fried in really hot oil in a really hot wok. They are crispy around the edges, but can stay as runny as you like in the center if you follow the right technique.

Eggs - 2, room temperature
Oil, as much as you need

Pour enough oil in a wok or non-stick frying pan, about 1 inch depth. Heat the wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, Crack the egg into the middle of the pan. The egg should be swimming in the oil. Splash the egg with oil, until the edges are crispy and the yolk is somewhat cooked. Whether you like a runny of jammy yolk is your personal preference. Remove the egg from the wok and drain on a paper towel. Repeat above steps with the remaining egg.

Note: It does require quite a bit of oil to crisp up the edges, almost like deep frying it. If you are health conscious and don’t want to deep fry the egg, feel free to make a regular sunny side up or a poached egg.

Preparing the Fried Rice

Oil - 2 tbsp
Thai Bird’s Eye Chili - 6, chopped (Serrano or fresh Indian Chilis will work too)
Garlic Cloves - 3, chopped
Yellow Onion - ¼ cup, diced

Chicken - ½ lbs, marinated

Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and Thai chillies, stir well making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the chicken and cook until it looks almost done. Add the onion and mix it well with the chicken.

Note: Instead of chopping up the chili and garlic, I like to lightly smash it in a mortar and pestle. This is a technique used in Thai cooking where pounding or coarsely bruising herbs and spices enhance and add a distinct flavour and texture.

Jasmine Rice - 1 cup, day old rice is best for fried rice, and if you don’t know how to cook rice…I am judging you, judging you real hard.
Fried Rice Sauce
Holy Basil Leaves - 1 cup or more if you like

Now add the rice, and then the sauce mixture. Combine the rice well with the sauce, making sure to break down lumps of rice. When the rice has absorbed all of the sauce, add the basil, mix it well and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust for additional soy sauce or fish sauce.

Note: Although the dish is specifically named after Kaphrao as in Holy Basil, it is extremely difficult to find it outside of Thailand. I had one hell of a time trying to find it here in California. So if you can't find it where you live, Thai Basil or Italian Basil will work too!

Assembling

Serve it immediately while it’s hot. Top it off with a fried egg and some cucumber slices and fresh lime wedges on the side. Thai fried rice is not complete with a side of prik nam pla. I like to douse the egg and the rice with it but that’s just me. Use how much ever you want, that’s your business. Actually while we are at it, I should share my recipe for prik nam pla. I put that sh… on everything. I would drink it in a cup if I could but I would probably be burning through the nether regions next morning.

Prik Nam Pla