Pad Krapow | Pad Krapao (Gai Pad Krapow)
What is Pad Krapow?
Pad Krapow is a popular Thai dish in Thailand as well as in America. This is one of my favorite Thai dishes too! It translates to Stir Fry Holy Basil. Since holy basil is difficult to obtain outside of Thailand, Thai restaurants in America replace holy basil with Thai sweet basil in their Pad Krapow dish. The difference between Thai holy basil and Thai sweet basil is the flavor. Thai sweet basil is sweet and Thai holy basil is peppery and spicy. Thai sweet basil has purple stems and Thai holy basil has furry leaves. If you have access to Thai holy basil, please use it for this recipe.
I love Pad Krapow because of the spiciness from the Thai chilis and the sweet flavor from the basil. So you can guess that Pad Krapow is my go to dish when I’m chowing down at a Thai restaurant. You can order it with a minced or sliced meat of your choice. Now that you have your hands on my wonderful recipe, you can eat Pad Krapow anytime you crave it.
Pad Krapow Ingredients
My Gai Pad Krapow recipe consists of garlic, Thai basil, Thai chilies and 3 sauces including fish sauce, oyster sauce, and black soy sauce. The black soy sauce in this recipe is not the same as the Chinese dark soy sauce. It is a Thai black soy sauce that is sweet in flavor and not salty. I use the Kwong Hung Seng Black Soy Sauce Brand. Another black soy sauce brand is the Thai Healthy Boy Brand. To make sure if you have the right kind of black soy sauce, check that it is a product of Thailand.
If you love Thai food, here is a list of my other Thai recipes from my blog:
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Cut chicken thighs into small pieces and mince 2 cloves of garlic. You will use this garlic to stir fry with the chicken.
STEP 2
Prepare the chili paste. Take the Thai chilis and remove the seeds and place in the mortar. Mince 4 garlic cloves and place in the mortar. Use the pestle to pound the garlic and chili into a paste. Next, add the vinegar to the chili paste. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of the chili paste, so there will be leftover paste. You can store the leftovers in the fridge.
STEP 3
Heat pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of cooking oil. Add in garlic until it becomes fragrant. Next, add the chicken. Then pour in the black soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Take 1 teaspoon of the chili paste and add it to the chicken. Cook the chicken until it is fully cooked.
STEP 4
Turn off heat and remove the basil leaves from the stems and add it to the pan. Mix it with the chicken until it has wilted.
All done! Serve with a side of Jasmine rice. Please enjoy cooking my Gai Pad Krapow recipe!
Pad Krapow
Pad Krapow is a popular Thai dish in Thailand as well as in America. It translates to Stir Fry Holy Basil. My Gai Pad Krapow recipe consists of garlic, Thai basil, Thai chilies and 3 sauces including fish sauce, oyster sauce, and black soy sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 Thai chilis
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 chicken thighs
- 1/2 bunch thai basil or holy basil
- 1 tsp black soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 1/8 tsp vinegar
Instructions
-
Cut chicken thighs into small pieces and mince 2 cloves of garlic. You will use this garlic to stir fry it with the chicken.
-
Prepare the chili paste. Take the Thai chilis and remove the seeds and place in a mortar. Mince 4 garlic cloves and place in the mortar. Use the pestle to pound the garlic and chili into a paste. And add the vinegar to the chili paste. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of the chili paste, so there will be leftover paste. You can store the leftovers in the fridge.
-
Heat pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of cooking oil. Add in garlic until it becomes fragrant. Next, add the chicken. Then pour in the black soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Then, add 1 teaspoon of the chili paste. Cook the chicken until it is fully cooked.
-
Turn off heat and remove the basil leaves from the stems and add it to the pan. Mix it with the chicken until it has wilted.