When we first came to Thailand we tasted this dish of ground meat in seasoned Thai basil and it became a favorite. It is available in street food carts to high end restaurants.
It’s name sounds like KaPow! Superhero good. ( it’s really Ka Prao or Ga Pao)
The best part is that it is the simplest of dishes to make on a budget , in a pinch , both satisfying and economical.
Recipe for Ka Prao ( Thai basil stir fry )
•200g ground pork (or chicken)
•Tablespoon of oil
•1/2 of an onion
•3 garlic pieces
•60 mls water
•1 tablespoon seasoning powder (shown in photo)
Method :
Stir garlic , onion and oil until soft on low heat , add ground meat , increase heat, and stir until cooked.
Add 1 tablespoon of seasoning and 60ml of water
Add fresh Thai basil (or holy basil ) mix well for a minute and serve. Generally eaten with steamed rice.
*The seasoning packet costs about 50¢ here and lasts for about a kilo of meat. I have bought it in an Asian food store in San Bernardino before our trip , and I’m sure most big cities with a Thai town will have a supermarket to buy it from. Just a heads up , there is a paste in a white packet for the same dish but it is blow your ears out spicy !! This one has no spice and so some chopped bird chillis at the end kick up the heat for the more adventurous.
Just something we found funny about the name for pork in Thai , it’s moo. You’d think that would be beef , right ?!
Bon Appetite Thai style.
Seven Months in Siam 