Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Recipe courtesy of my fellow ABC mom friend Hilda, who says this is a rough recipe because she doesn’t really use measurements when she makes this dish. She took some friends and me to this Thai restaurant in LA called Sanamluang Cafe after a summer hike in the Hollywood Hills and I have not forgotten how delicious the food was. My hard-to-impress husband and kids even enjoyed it when I returned here before going to Griffith Observatory over the summer. Mouth is watering. Enjoy.

Can I omit the peppers?

I love lots of veggies, but I’ve omitted them before when I’m cooking just for my kids or when I don’t have peppers on hand. In these cases I’ve added more sliced onions and it still tastes good, but obviously is missing that peppery taste. Red peppers especially have a lighter pepper taste and sweetness that I think really complements the dish and gives it beautiful color with the green basil.

Can I substitute regular or dried basil for the Thai basil?

Regular basil is ok too, but Thai basil has a stronger flavor which is better for the dish. I’ve also used regular old dried basil. It doesn’t have that same strong fresh flavor but it’ll do. I wouldn’t substitute other herbs, however. It would completely change the dish’s flavor. If you had to, I have never tried making it with fresh cilantro instead of basil – that is probably the only flavor that I think would still do well but again, give it a completely different flavor.

Can I substitute ground chicken for another ground meat?

I really like the lightness of chicken but I think pork would probably work. I buy ground turkey at Costco and find that it is also a fine substitute.

Can I substitute something else for the Thai chili powder?

Any other chili powder will change the taste dramatically. I don’t know enough about chilis, but I know that Chinese chili powder doesn’t taste the same. Not sure about Korean or Italian red chili flakes. I also notice that when I add more chili powder, it makes the dish taste saltier. So if I know I will be using chili powder, I usually stay at about 1 tbsp of fish sauce. If I don’t use any chili powder, I put more fish sauce in, but not more than 2 tbsp.

Should I use brown or white sugar?

Brown sugar tends to give the flavor a bit more depth because of its caramelized taste. I also feel like it thickens the sauce a bit more. In a hurry? Just use white.

I’m avoiding carbs. What can I serve this with other than rice?

Rice is standard – my kids love it with the jasmine rice. But being low carb, I like putting it in romaine lettuce leaves. I’ve heard of others using riced cauliflower. It is quite a salty dish so it definitely needs something more plain.

Enjoy!