Krapow (Spicy Basil Chicken)

What a beautiful dish!

We, both my husband and I, enjoy flavorful food and we have found few dishes to be as full of flavor as the Thai dishes we have sampled.  Thai food is generally spicy, but when you make it at home, you can control how spicy the dish is.  This dish is perfect for a weeknight.  It is quick, easy and will reheat well for my lunch the next day. 

Slice you chicken breast about 1/4 of an inch thick 

Slice your onions very thin.  The thinner you cut everything, the more quickly it will cook.

Bell peppers, if you want more color, you can use red and/or yellow.  It does not change the flavor.

The one thing I like most about this dish is that it is one that Mark, my husband, prepares (as much as I love to cook, I love not cooking on occasion too!).  We try to include this dish in the menu when I will be working late or we know he will be the first one home.  If I am home, we will work together in the kitchen.  I will usually do all the chopping while he does the measuring and cooking.  We like to make extra rice and have fried rice sometime in the next couple of days.

Serrano peppers are quite hot and you should be careful of how much you add.  

For this recipe we are using Thai Basil.  We plant the Thai basil in early spring and will use this basil in all of our recipes during the spring, summer and fall.  If you plant herbs, Thai Basil is more resilient than sweet basil, has more robust licorice tones and has the added benefit of pretty purple flowers.

Chop the basil, but not real small; cutting it will help release the flavor. 

This dish will cook quickly, so it is best to have all your prep work done before you start cooking.  Once you begin cooking, it will be ready in less than 10 minutes.  Total prep time will vary, but if you are used to working in the kitchen, you should be able to have the prep done in 15-20 minutes at the most.  If you have never had Thai cuisine, this is a great way to try it!

Krapow (Spicy Basil Chicken)

·         2 cups cooked jasmine rice

·         4 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

·         4 cloves of garlic minced

·         2 chicken breast - sliced thin

·         1 onion - sliced thin

·         1 Green Bell Pepper - sliced thin

·         8 tablespoons of oyster sauce

·         4 tablespoons of Tamari soy sauce

·         2 teaspoons of black soy sauce

·         2/3 cup of water

·         1 - 2 cups of fresh basil

·         3 fresh serrano peppers sliced (the more Serrano peppers you add, the hotter the dish will be, you can all less)

·         3 teaspoons of Sambal Oelek (Ground Fresh Chili Paste) this is also spicy, if you have a low tolerance level for spicy, leave this out)

Turn on the stove to the medium heat

• Heat the oil

• When the oil is hot add the garlic

• When the garlic is soft (don’t let it burn) add the chicken

• Stir the chicken until it is cooked

• Add the onion

• Add all the sauces (oyster sauce, soy sauce and black soy sauce) and stir it together

• Add water and stir for about 2 minutes.

• Add the chili peppers and basil, stir it couple of time and it’s done