Pad Grapao Gai - Stir-Fried Minced Chicken with Holy Basil

I still recall eating this dish on many an occasion for weekday lunches in Singapore. I may hold back on the chillies (or at least remove half the seeds in future), but it was worth it! It was a quick and easy meal to put together, but if you live in a cold climate as we do, be sure to have warmed serving dishes on standby, especially while you get your eggs fried after you've cooked this dish. I also ended up using minced beef instead of chicken.

Serves 4

2 tbs sunflower oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 long red chillies, 1 finely chopped, 2 sliced on the diagonal
6 red bird's-eye chillies, finely chopped
400g minced chicken
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1/2 tsp caster sugar
10 green beans, thinly sliced
4 large Asian red eschalots, thinly sliced
1 cup holy basil leaves
Steamed riced and 4 fried eggs, to serve

Dipping sauce
4 thinly sliced red bird's-eye chillies
125ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce
1/2 Asian red eschalot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup holy basil leaves, finely chopped

To make dipping sauce, combined all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic, 1 chopped long red chilli and all the bird's eye chillies, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken and cook, breaking up lumps, for 4 minutes or until cooked through.

Combine soy, fish and oyster sauces and the sugar in a small bowl. Add to the wok with beans, sliced long red chillies and eschalots, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until heated through. Add basil and remove from heat. Serve the stir-fry with rice and dipping sauce and top with a fried egg.