Learn How To Make Pad Krapow, Stir Fried Chili and Thai Holy Basil
Pad Kapow is a Thai dish that consists of stir-fried meat (typically beef, chicken, or pork) with chilli and basil. The dish has a spicy and aromatic flavour that is a staple of Thai cuisine and is often served as many stir-fried dishes are in Thailand with a Khaìdaaw (which in Thai is ไข่ดาว) or in English a fried egg.
Stir-fried basil and chilli is a food that is highly popular amongst Thais in all regions of the country as it has a delicious taste and is easy to make. The basil in this dish is Holy basil which has a spicy flavour which was always tricky to find in the past in many countries. However, this also seems to have become more widely available in different countries In some places, it is known as Tulsi.
The history of Pad Ka Pow
Its origin is believed to be from Thailand's central region and it has been part of Thai street food culture for decades. Pad Kapow has become a popular dish worldwide, with many variations and adaptations to suit different tastes and ingredients available in different countries.
The technique of stir-frying was the cooking style of Chinese people applied to the available Thai ingredients which became popular food among Thai people.
An important note for this dish if you are planning on cooking it as part of an Online Thai Cooking Class
then ensure that you are able to source the Thai Holy Basil 'Kapow' as often people can find it difficult to find this ingredient in some countries and when it is available it is likely only to be available via a specialist Asian food market/shop. Substituting Holy Basil for Italian or another type of Basil like Sweet Basil won't work as Holy Basil has it's own unique flavour and is also a little spicy.
Ingredients you will need if you are taking an online class
● Pork, beef, chicken, prawns or tofu
● Fresh chillies (Thai Birdseye Chilies if available)
● Garlic
● Holy basil is also known as Kapow and Tulsi
● Onion chopped (if you don’t like you don’t need to add in)
● Soy sauce
● Oyster sauce
● Dark soy sauce
● Sugar
● Cooking oil
● Water