Ingredients
- 2-3 red chillies, deseeded
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 200g yard beans or pak choi
- Neutral oil, for frying
- 3 eggs (optional)
- 250g pork mince or finely chopped protein of your choice – if using meat, go for a fairly fatty cut
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp ground palm sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
- 1 tbsp kecap manis or black soy sauce (optional)
- Splash of water as needed
- 1 large handful holy basil leaves or Thai basil
- Steamed rice, to serve
Preparation
- eseed and cut the mild chilli into thin strips. Trim and finely chop the small chillies and garlic.
- Chop the green beans, if using, into roughly 2cm lengths.
- Heat a wok on a high flame, add enough oil generously to coat the bottom, then crack in the eggs and fry, basting them in the hot oil, until puffy with crisp whites and runny yolks. Carefully lift out and set aside on a warm plate, and leave about two tablespoons of oil in the wok.
- Put the wok back on a high flame, turn down the heat slightly, then fry the finely chopped chillies and garlic for a few seconds, stirring so they don’t burn, until aromatic.
- Add the protein, stir vigorously to break up any clumps and fry for a minute or so, until just cooked through.
- Add the fish sauce, sugar and the other sauces, if using (if you’re sticking with just fish sauce, add a good splash of water instead).
- Stir in the beans and sliced chilli, and stir-fry for another minute or so, until the liquid comes to a simmer.
- Stir through the basil leaves to wilt, then divide between two plates, top each portion with an egg and serve with rice.
Notes
Felicity Clark – The Guardian
