For ➊*for the egg: *
1 egg
2 tbs oil for frying
for the chicken:**
1 chicken breast (or any other cut of boneless chicken, about 200 g)**
5 cloves of garlic
4 Thai chillies
1 tbs oil for frying
1 ts of oyster sauce
½ ts light soy sauce
½ ts sugar
1 splash dark soy sauce
1 handful Thai holy basil leaves
Prepare your rice as usual.
Heat about 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan on high-medium heat. When the oil is hot and sizzling, drop in the egg. Let it sizzle and bubble up, and at the same time, splash some of the hot oil onto the top of the egg. Don't flip the egg.
After the egg looks about right, take it out, drain the excess oil, and put it on a plate for later.*
Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces.
Rinse and peel the garlic and chilies, and pound them in a mortar and pestle (alternatively you can just mince them with a knife). They don't need to be super fine, you just want to bring out the oils and flavors from the garlic and chilies.
Pluck a good sized handful of holy basil leaves off the stems.
Heat your wok on high heat, and add about 1 tbs of oil to the pan.
When the oil is hot, add the chillies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 s or so until they get really fragrant, but don't let them burn or get too dry.
Toss in your chicken. Keep stir frying continuously. At this stage you want to continue to stir and cook your chicken until it's just about fully cooked all the way through (depending on the size pieces of chicken and how hot your fire is, it should take about 2-3 m). If it starts to get dry, add just a tiny splash of water.
Add 1 ts of oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, and finally a splash of dark soy sauce. Keep stir frying for about another 30 seconds.
Grab a handful of holy basil, toss it into the pan, fold it into the chicken, and then immediately turn off the heat.[On an electric stove, remove the pan from the burner]. The holy basil really only needs to cook for about 5 s, and it will continue to wilt and cook from the existing heat of the chicken. This step is important because if you cook the basil for too long, it loses some of its glorious flavor and gets slightly chewy.
Serve with the rice.
Heat about 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan on high-medium heat. When the oil is hot and sizzling, drop in the egg. Let it sizzle and bubble up, and at the same time, splash some of the hot oil onto the top of the egg. Don't flip the egg.
After the egg looks about right, take it out, drain the excess oil, and put it on a plate for later.*
Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces.
Rinse and peel the garlic and chilies, and pound them in a mortar and pestle (alternatively you can just mince them with a knife). They don't need to be super fine, you just want to bring out the oils and flavors from the garlic and chilies.
Pluck a good sized handful of holy basil leaves off the stems.
Heat your wok on high heat, and add about 1 tbs of oil to the pan.
When the oil is hot, add the chillies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 s or so until they get really fragrant, but don't let them burn or get too dry.
Toss in your chicken. Keep stir frying continuously. At this stage you want to continue to stir and cook your chicken until it's just about fully cooked all the way through (depending on the size pieces of chicken and how hot your fire is, it should take about 2-3 m). If it starts to get dry, add just a tiny splash of water.
Add 1 ts of oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, and finally a splash of dark soy sauce. Keep stir frying for about another 30 seconds.
Grab a handful of holy basil, toss it into the pan, fold it into the chicken, and then immediately turn off the heat.[On an electric stove, remove the pan from the burner]. The holy basil really only needs to cook for about 5 s, and it will continue to wilt and cook from the existing heat of the chicken. This step is important because if you cook the basil for too long, it loses some of its glorious flavor and gets slightly chewy.
Serve with the rice.
*You can leave the egg side-dish out.
**Prepare with pork or beef.
Holy basil has been revered for its medicinal value throughout India for thousands of years. Ayurvedic texts describe holy basil as a pillar of holistic herbal medicine. The leaves smell of peppermint, cloves, licorice and/or lemon. Holy basil is believed to be helpful when fighting stress.
