Stir-fried Minced Beef with Chillies and Holy Basil (Neua Pat Bai Grapao)

I had this dish on my ‘to cook’ list for a great length of time before actually biting the bullet. I was hesitant because I was actually afraid of this dish when I was living in Thailand! It stems from an incident when I went to my favourite restaurant in Bangkok where one of my best friends works. After thinking about ordering my usual red curry (gang dang), I told my Thai friend that I wanted something completely authentic, and done in the Thai style. That meant I didn’t want it toned down for a farang (a foreigner), and I wanted it served to me as Thai people ate it. Intent to prove to my local friend that I had what it takes to mix it with Thai people in the heat department, I displayed a great level of confidence. Quite simply, it was misplaced. My friend sat down with me and had actually ordered two, so we were eating the same dish at the same time. He started eating and was perfectly fine, and I must admit the apprehension was getting the better of me. Finally I began, and, as is relatively usual, things seemed to be going quite well. Then after just 30 seconds, it began. My head starting throbbing, my throat seemed to be closing and I really struggled to breathe. Nothing would help me – water, beer, ice cubes even. They just seemed to intensify the heat, and I went home with my tail between my legs realising that I was, after all, just a ‘farang’, and couldn’t match it with the locals.

When I eventually cooked this dish, I was still trepidatious. As it turned out, however, it was absolutely delicious! I probably used around 15 bird’s eye chillies, so it’s not as if I played it on the safe side. Of course, this recipe doesn’t call for as much chilli as the Thais would use, but it’s not by any means a soft version of the recipe. After all, it comes from David Thompson, who is a purveyor of very authentic Thai recipes. All of the elements just seemed to work so well together – the Thai basil, the hit of chilli, the oiliness of the minced beef, and the crispiness of the fried egg, all soaked up by steamed jasmine rice. It makes a great combination! While I was in Thailand, I really came to love Thai basil, and it’s really one of those ingredients that doesn’t have a great substitute. While of course regular basil would be an obvious substitute if you can’t find Thai (Holy) basil, it doesn’t provide the same flavour. For me, this dish is synonmous with Thai street food, something that I came to not only savour but depend on when I worked and lived in Thailand. I must admit that it took my stomach a few months to come to terms with Thai street food, those few months of struggling were well worth it. Even today I saw an article about 20 reasons to visit Bangkok, and street food was of course high up on that list. It just made me realise how lucky I was to immerse myself in another culture, especially one so vibrant and flaboursome. So I heartily recommend this recipe if you want to taste a relatively authentic version of a major Thai street food dish.

8 garlic cloves, peeled

8-20 bird’s eye chillies (scuds)
Good pinch of salt
6-8 tbs vegetable oil
4 eggs
400g coarsely minced beef
About 4 tbs fish sauce
Large pinch of white sugar
½ cup stock or water
4 large handfuls of holy basil leaves
Chillies in fish sauce (below), to serve

Chillies in fish sauce

¼ cup fish sauce
10-15 bird’s eye chillies (scuds), finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, fnely sliced
1 tbs lime juice
Good pinch of chopped coriander

To make the chillies in fish sauce, combine the fish sauce, chillies and garlic in a bowl and set aside. Just before serving, stir through the lime juice and coriander.

To make the stir-fry, coarsely chop the garlic with the chillies and salt.

Heat a well-seasoned wok over a high heat then turn down the heat and add 4 tbs of the oil. Crack in one of the eggs and fry gently, shuffling the egg to prevent it from sticking, until it has cooked to your preference. Spoon some of the hot oil over the egg to ensure the yolk cooks evenly. Carefully lift out the egg with a spatula and place on a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs, and keep warm while cooking the beef.

Add more oil – you’ll need about 8 tbs of oil all up in the wok. When the oil is hot, fry the garlic and chillies for a moment, but don’t let it colour. Add the beef and continue to stir-fry for a minute until just cooked. Season to taste with the fish sauce and sugar.

Add the stock or water and simmer for a moment, ensuring it doesn’t boil. Stir in the holy basil and as soon as it is wilted, remove from the heat.

Serve on plates with plenty of steamed jasmine rice, a fried egg on top and a bowl of chillies in fish sauce on the side.

Cuisine: Thai

Source: “Thai Street Food” by David Thompson
Rating: Four stars