Holy Basil Chicken Fried Rice with Fried Egg (Kao Pad Gaprao Gai Kai Dao)

June 29, 2015

Holy Basil Chicken Fried Rice with Fried Egg (Kao Pad Gaprao Gai Kai Dao) © kvalifood.com

This is the fried rice version of pad gaprao - one of the most popular lunch dishes in Thailand, where ground meat is stir-fried with holy basil and served over rice with a fried egg. Some restaurants skip the “served over” step and throw the rice right into the stir-fry, making it a one-pan fried rice. It is essentially the rice version of pad kee mao (drunken noodles), using the same basil and similar sauces.

Ingredients

Serves 2

The Sauce

1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp seasoning sauce (Golden Mountain (or Maggi))
1 tsp black soy sauce

The Rest

175 g chicken, ground (or other ground meat)
1 tsp soy sauce
Oil for frying eggs (enough to fill about 1 ½ cm in the pan)
2 eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-5 Thai chilies, finely chopped
5 long beans, cut into 1 ½ cm pieces on a bias
½ dl onion, small diced
1 spur chili (or 1/4 red bell pepper), short julienned
3 ½ dl cooked rice
1 tsp sugar, granulated
2 ¼ dl holy basil, Thai basil, (or regular basil)
Prik nam pla, for serving (optional)

Directions

Mix the ground chicken with 1 tsp soy sauce in a bowl and refrigerate while you prep the other ingredients.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl greased with a little cooking oil - greasing helps the thick sauce slide out more easily later.

For the fried eggs, add about 1/2 inch of oil to a wok or small frying pan over medium-high heat. When very hot but not smoking, crack an egg into the centre. The white should bubble right away. Lower the heat if you want a more set yolk so the white does not brown too fast. Baste the top with hot oil as it cooks. Once the edges are browned and crispy and the yolk is done to your liking, remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the second egg.

Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and Thai chilies and stir until the garlic starts turning golden. Add the chicken and cook until about 70% done. Add the long beans, onion, and spur chili and toss to combine.

Add the rice, then pour in the sauce mixture and sugar. Toss until the rice is evenly coated, pressing down on lumps to break them apart. When the sauce has been fully absorbed and the rice looks dry, turn off the heat and stir in the basil just until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Transfer to a plate, top each portion with a fried egg, and serve with prik nam pla on the side for seasoning the egg or the rice.

Notes

The most common problem with fried rice is mushy or clumpy results. Use cold, day-old rice, and make sure the rice was not cooked with too much water in the first place.
Pull the eggs from the fridge the night before so they reach room temperature, or soak them in warm tap water while you prep.
If the fried egg sticks to the pan, let it cook for a minute before gently nudging it off with a spatula.
A sunny-side-up or over-easy egg works fine if you want to use less oil than the Thai deep-fry method.