Thai holy basil pork with rice
Thailand's pad kra pao — minced pork and long beans stir-fried with garlic, chilli and fragrant holy basil, topped with a crisp-edged fried egg. Ready in 15 minutes.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Long winter nights can leave qi-stagnation types low, tight-chested and off their food. Holy basil is pungent and aromatic, moving qi and aiding digestion, chilli and garlic warm and open things up, and pork nourishes. Fragrant and ready in 15 minutes, it lifts the mood as well as the appetite.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min- 1Dice the long beans and finely chop the garlic and chilli. Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and 2 tbsp water.
- 2Fry the eggs in a little oil in a non-stick pan until the edges are crisp. Set aside.
- 3Add the rest of the oil, fry the garlic and chilli until fragrant, then add the pork and stir-fry over high heat, breaking it up, until it changes colour.
- 4Add the beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then pour in the sauce and toss.
- 5Turn off the heat, stir in the basil until just wilted, spoon over the rice and top with the eggs.
Cautions
- Adjust the chilli to taste, and keep it mild with stomach pain or a sore throat.
Chef's tips
- Add the basil off the heat to keep its fragrance; Thai basil works if you can't find holy basil.
The TCM view
Holy basil is pungent and warm, moving qi, resolving damp and aiding digestion; chilli is pungent and hot, warming the middle and stirring the appetite; garlic is pungent and warm, moving qi; pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin; long beans are sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen. Pungent, aromatic and qi-moving, it suits qi-stagnation types at the Winter Solstice.
