Lobo brand Thai Holy basil seasoning paste - 1.76 oz each (5 packs)

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Oregano is a member of the mint family, just like basil. It has a distinctive flavor with pepper and clove notes that are like those in basil. Unlike the other substitutes in this list, oregano is best used dry since the fresh leaves can be a little too pungent and aggressive. Use about half the amount of oregano that your recipe requires for holy basil and increase to taste. Other alternatives cups Thai Holy Basil Leaves (substitute with Thai Sweet Basil or Italian Basil if you can’t find holy basil) – washed and dried Thai Holy Basil Leaves: Also called spicy basil or hot basil sometimes. Thai holy basil has a unique peppery flavor and it is what makes this dish so special! It has furry stems, and the leaves have ridges on the sides. Look for it at your local Asian or Thai grocery store if you’re based in the U.S. In Asia, it should be available at the Thai stall in your local wet market. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with Thai sweet basil or regular Italian basil. Italian basil is closer in flavor to holy basil than Thai sweet basil. But either will work.

Red Chilies (Bird’s eye preferred, but Holland or any other small hot chilies will work), to taste– cut into halves or thirds depending on length Before I tell you more about our Thai pad kra pao recipe, we have a favour to ask. Grantourismo is reader-funded. If you’ve cooked our recipes and enjoyed them, please consider supporting Grantourismo by using our links to buy travel insurance, rent a car or campervan or motorhome, book accommodation, or book a tour on Klook or Get Your Guide. You could also browse our Grantourismo store for gifts for food lovers, including food-themed reusable cloth face masks designed with my images. Thai Pad Kra Pao Recipe for Stir Fried Ground Pork and Holy Basil with Fried Egg Onion: I used yellow onion, but red or white onion will work too. You could also use shallots instead if you like. Aromatics. Plenty of fresh garlic and fiery Bird’s eye chilies to spice things up! We also have some large red chilies for color (they’re actually mild in taste). 🌶 Add this paste into three cups of boiling water for two minutes before adding fish sauce and tamarind juice to taste along with thai basil sprigs, lemongrass stalks, lime wedges, or limes…and some salt if desired! Enjoy!In addition to its culinary uses, Thai basil is thought to have beneficial medicinal properties as well.

Green Chilies (Bird’s eye preferred, but Holland chilies will work too), to taste– deseeded if desired and cut into halves or thirds depending on length fresh Green chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye, Prik Kee Nu chilies or other hot green chilies – note 2), to taste– destemmed, roughly chopped When the oil is hot, add the chilies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 seconds or so until they get really fragrant, but don't let them burn or get too dry. You may have seen this word written out in different ways because there just isn't a "correct" way to write Thai words using English letters. So really, they're all approximations with various degrees of wrong. Thai Holy Basil Leaves: This is what this dish is all about! Holy basil (also known as ‘kra pow’in Thai or spicy basil) has a lovely peppery taste. It adds a whole lot of flavor and aroma to this dish! You can try finding it at your local Asian or Thai grocery store if you’re based in the US. In Asia, you can find this in the Thai stall at your local wet market during the summer. But if you can’t find holy basil easily, substitute with Thai sweet basil or Italian basil. The dish won’t be traditional as it’s normally made with holy basil. But I promise you that it’ll still be mighty delicious! In fact, I normally use Thai sweet basil in the winter here as my local wet market only carries holy basil during spring and summer.

Let’s quickly talk about Thai basil…

Add onion, garlic chili paste, and large red chili: Add the onion and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the smashed garlic chili paste and large red chili slices, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. They are popular because each of them has certain distinctive qualities. To get the best from Thai basil and holy basil, you will need to understand those distinctive qualities.

Fresh kaffir lime leaves are an essential ingredient in Thai cooking. However, obtaining them in the UK or the EU is far from easy. (Edit. Aug 2016. Getting easier, I've noticed that M&S now seem to have them year round.)The reason for this is that they harbour a pest that the authorities are keen to prevent becoming established here. The same applies in the US. For that reason, all imports of kaffir lime leaves have to be frozen. The kaffir lime tree requires warm temperatures and lots of light for it to grow successfully, not something we have a lot of in the UK. As a Thai living here, I know exactly how a kaffir lime tree feels! There are some EU growers of kaffir limes, I’m fortunate enough to get most of the kaffir lime leaves I use in the My Thai Curry pastes from a grower in Spain. However, for most people just requiring a few lime leaves to flavour a Tom Yum soup for example this is not a practical option. Although fresh kaffir lime leaves have been available, in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in the past, the supply always seems to be erratic and even then, I would suspect, only in certain parts of the country. Currently Marks & Spencer have fresh lime leaves available, at least in their Simply Food stores, once again though they may not be on sale nationwide. These are grown indoors under light in the UK.Red and Green Chilies: I use Thai Bird’s eye chilies, which are incredibly HOT and tasty in my opinion! But Holland or any other small chilies will work too. Feel free to adjust the amount to taste and/or deseed them if you prefer to make this dish milder. Also the metric world does not measure granulated sugar, let alone chopped up chilies as volume. It has invented scales for this purpose. Why would I want to transfer chili bits to a measuring cup, then try frantically to discern the level they reach, knowing fully well that if I give the measuring cup a little shake the level will be different. The leaves are usually smaller than Thai basil, however; they have a vibrant and bright flavor that will add an interesting aura to recipes. pieces Chinese Broccoli (or any other Asian greens such as bok choy, choy sum) – stems thinly sliced at an angle, leafy parts cut into rough chunks Make the sauce: Whisk together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sweet dark soy sauce, white sugar, and water in a measuring cup or bowl.

ounces uncooked Spaghetti (or capellini, or any other noodle-type of pasta you like. Whole wheat pasta is fine too if preferred.) When looking for a Thai basil substitute, it’s important to take into account both the flavor and the visual impact of the dish. Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 1 minute until they start to develop color and are almost cooked. Toss through holy basil: Add the holy basil leaves to the wok and toss through to combine for a minute or so. Cook until the basil has wilted and the liquid has mostly cooked off, then switch off the heat. Turn off the heat, add the basil and mix just until wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sugar or fish sauce as needed.

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Note: Depending on the size of your mortar and pestle, you may need to make the garlic chili paste in two batches. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can finely mince the garlic and bird’s eye chilies. Alternatively, you could also use a mini blender and pulse until a coarse paste-like texture is achieved.) Thai Holy Basil Leaves: This basil is known as ‘kaprow’ or ‘gaprao’ in Thai and sometimes called spicy or hot basil in English. It has a unique peppery flavor, furry stems, and leaves that have ridges. Find it in an Asian supermarket or Thai grocery store if you’re based in the U.S or outside of Asia. In Asia, you can find it in the Thai stall at your local wet market. If unavailable, you can substitute with regular Italian basil or Thai sweet basil. Although Italian basil will be closer in flavor to holy basil than Thai sweet basil, either will still taste great in this fried rice. Our Thai stir-fried minced pork with holy basil recipe makes pad kra pao, a staple of street food stalls in Thailand. A garlic and chilli paste is mixed with pork mince and a rich sauce before being served with fragrant and refreshing Thai holy basil and a fried egg. To top it off, a classic Thai condiment, prik nam pla, further enhances the flavour of this popular Thai street food dish when served with steamed jasmine rice. Add the veggies and green peppercorn: Add the Chinese broccoli, baby corn, and young green peppercorn sprigs. Toss to combine.