Stir-Fried Thai Chicken with Basil (Gà Xào Với Rau Quế)

On the streets of Thailand, travelers share the same thing in common, which is standing in line to enjoy a traditional dish of this country, It is stir-fried chicken with basil, also known as Gai Pad Graprow.  Actually, depending on each region of Thailand, this dish is processed in many different ways. Some Thai cooks use  ground meat and others use pork, beef, or seafood as a replacement for ground meat. Of course, for vegans who do not eat meat, tofu will be used instead. But the main ingredient of this dish is basil, which is not a substitute for any other kind of herbs. Other ingredients that are used in processing this dish to enhance the taste of this dish are normally the colorful sweet bell peppers, such as red, yellow, orange. I think all the traditional dishes around the world, which travelers will experience as they visit different countries, will have different ingredients and taste and will be prepared in slightly different ways. However, with the ingenuity of the great chefs, each traditional dish will be shown as a little bit different but still maintain the main nature ingredients of it. I love to prepare meals in the summer, when my herbs garden provides a large amount of basil, which is a fairly expensive herb to use for stir-fried dishes. Also, this dish has plenty of garlic to create a sensational aroma in the kitchen. The way of cooking this dish is simple but will make visitors feel like they are standing on the streets of Thailand excitedly waiting for their meals.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, thickly sliced
1 tbs corn starch
1 tbs cooking wine
Vegetables:
1 1/2  cups total of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, cut into ½ inch squares
1 small white onion, cut into ½ inch squares
5 garlic cloves, sliced
Fresh hot chili or chili flakes, your choice
2 cups total of basil, combination of mainly Thai or cinnamon basil, roughly chopped
Stir-fry sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 tbs each of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sweet Thai chili sauce, and red wine vinegar
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbs coconut oil or peanut oil

Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with rice

Directions:
Combine chicken breasts in a bowl. Add cornstarch and cooking wine. Let marinate in refrigerator for one hour.

Combine stir-fry sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables and set aside.
Heat half of oil in a wok until hot. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from wok and place on bowl. 

Add  half of the oil into the wok. Add garlic and onions and stir until fragrant (be careful not to let the garlic burn (about one minute on medium heat).

Add bell pepper and sauce.

 Bring to boil. Return chicken back in the wok to join with the sauce. Season with salt, if needed. Cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in green onions and basil.

 

 

Save some basil for garnish. Remove from heat and serve.