Yields:
2 Servings
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 Mins
Cook Time:
10 Mins
Total Time:
15 Mins
What do you do when your garden is producing massive amounts of basil and chilli? Make pad krapao, of course! This quick and easy Thai holy basil stir-fry can be whipped up in 15 minutes and is my go-to option for when I cannot be bothered to think about what to eat.
In Thailand, basil stir-fry is usually made with minced chicken or pork. In our happy vegan version, I am making it with tofu; tofu takes to the sauce very well and is a good protein fix so it’s a much better alternative.
This dish is best made with holy basil, which has a more peppery flavour, but if you can’t get it, Thai basil is a common replacement.
For something different, also check out my Basil (Pad Krapao) with String Beans!
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
Instructions
-
Small dice the tofu.
-
Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu. Just put the tofu into the pan and leave it until one side is brown. While this is happening, , mince the garlic and chilli and remove the basil leaves from the stem. When the tofu is brown on one side, toss it around a bit and leave for another 1-2 minutes. The tofu does not have to be browned on all sides, that would be too chewy and boring.
-
Make a little hole in the middle of the tofu and add another 1 tbsp of oil into the pan on medium heat. Add the chilli and garlic. Cook until the raw smell of the garlic is gone.
-
Mix the tofu back in and add the 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of vegan oyster sauce and 0.5 tbsp of sugar. Toss to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, it should be a nice balance of spicy, salty and slightly sweet.
-
When you are happy with the taste, add the basil leaves in and mix well. IMPORTANT: Once the basil has entered the pan, you need to turn the heat off after 5 seconds. 5 SECONDS! This is to retain the fresh flavour of the basil and prevent it from becoming over-cooked wilted sadness.
-
The heat from the rest of the food will cook the basil.
-
Pad krapao is usually serve with plain rice and runny fried egg. Here I used the "Vegan Poached Egg" from Loving Hut.
