Phat Gaprao Kai

Ingredients:

Chicken meat, ground and 70% pan grilled (beef or pork can be used in place of chicken)	500 grams
Gaprao chili mixture	50 grams
Galangal, ground	5 grams
Fish sauce	2 tablespoons
Sugar	1 teaspoon
Chicken stock	8 tablespoons
Holy basil leaves	50 grams
Cooking oil	6 tablespoons (4 tablespoons used for frying shrimps)

Directions:

• Fry the gaprao chili mixture on a medium heat. Add galangal and fry until the chili mixture is fragrant and well-cooked (for approximately 2 minutes).
• Add fish sauce, sugar, chicken stock and ground chicken, and fry all together
• Add holy basil leaves and fry together until the leaves are cooked.
• Place about 100 grams of the Pad Gaprao in one serving plate. Gamish with fried basil leaves.

Correct Characteristics of Phat Gaprao Kai(chicken)/Nua (beef)/Mu (pork)/Kung (shrimp):

• Minced beef, pork, chicken meat or prawns must be tender and not dry, mushy or sticky as balls.
• Phat Gaprao must be fragrant from chili paste and holy basils, well-cooked, not greasy, spicy and salty, and not sweet.

Cooking Tips:

• Beef, pork or chicken meat must be minced and pan toasted before being brought to cook Phat Gaprao to ensure pleasant fragrance.
• Chili paste must consist of yellow spur chilies, galangal, garlic and coriander roots and finely ground. Galangal helps ease bad smell.
• Chili paste must be fried until well-cooking before adding the meat and holy basils and continuing frying until well-cooked.

Eating Culture:

Phat Gaprao is usually eaten with the main meal with rice. For fusion eating, it can be fried with rice to make ‘’Khao Phat Gaprao’’ or fried with spaghetti. Gaprao Kai can be also used as sandwich spread.

How to Serve:

Place about 100 grams of the Phat Gaprao in one serving plate. Gamish with fried basil leaves. Serve with the main meal for eating with rice.

Recipe Variations:

Khao Phat Gaprao
Spaghetti Phat Gaprao
Phat Gaprao Kai Sanwich Spread

Name Derivative :

Phat Gaprao is named according to its cooking method – Phat (frying) – and its main ingredient – Gaprao (holy basils).

Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Herbs used in Phat Gaprao:

Prik Kee Noo (Fresh hot Chili Peppers)

Use : Hot chili peppers give the uniquely hot taste and aroma of Thai cooking. It is the star ingredient of most dishes. Almost every dish will taste better with a small addition of these tiny hot chili peppers. Tom Yam and Tom Kha cannot be made without them.
Medicinal properties : Relieves diarrhea, stimulates digestion and the heat, increases blood flow to taste buds and thus increases appetite, relieves infection, dissolves blood clod, and prevents intestinal cancer.

Kha (Mature Galangal)

Use : Beef and chicken Tom Yams need mature galangal roots to improve the flavor of the beef and chicken. The dishes will have a better aroma and taste.
Medicinal properties : Relieves skin rash, diarrhea, indigestion and body pain due to crash and fall.

Rak Pak Shee (Coriander Roots)

Use : Coriander root is an important ingredient in soup and curry mixtures. It is also used in stewing soup stocks and most meat dishes.
Medicinal properties : Aids digestion, prevents constipation, cures scurry, pellagra and beriberi, increases appetite, and relieves cold symptoms.

Gratiem (Garlic)

Use : Almost all Thai dishes - soups, curries, salads, sauces and pan-fried dishes – contain garlic.
Medicinal properties : Cures and prevents atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, fights some intestinal parasites, helps heal wounds, fights infections, strengthens heart, and clears chest congestion.

Hua Hom (Shallots)

Use : Shallots are ingredients of all kinds of curry pastes, hot sauces and salads.
Medicinal properties : Aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, increases appetite, and regulates menstruation.

Gaprao (Ocimum sanctum red, or white basil, or holy basil)

Use : Gaprao is used in Pad Gaprao (fried meat with fresh chili pepper, garlic and gaprao), Gang Pa, Gang Kae, and Tom Jew.
Medicinal properties : Relieves flatulence and indigestion, helps release phlegm, and increases milik supply for breastfeeding mothers.