When you are about to get serious about the holy spirits, you talk about them, act for them, and eat them for your body to get deeper into their essence. Well, this dish is all about those holy ingredients, spices, and a lot of creamy deliciousness.
Thai basil minced pork, also known as holy basil, is stir-fried with minced pork and served with premium rice that has an immense flavor and a white, pearly color. When combined with minced pork and holy basil, this dish can be on the table at your house in less than 30 minutes.
This Thai basil pork mince is said to take you to the streets of Bangkok, where it is famous for its fragrant and spicy Thai food for any and every day. Thai basil (or regular basil found in your area) is the only authentic ingredient you need, along with their method of course.
The best part of preparing this dish is using a single pot so that all of the ingredients can absorb the flavor, texture, and aroma. For an extra creamy experience of rice and minced pork with Thai basil, you can also add a fried egg (sunny side up).
To know more about this, let us continue right into the blog for more information, tips, and a lot of ideas.
What is Pad Kra Pao Moo in thai?
Pad Kra Pao Moo is a delectable Thai dish made with minced pork meat and basil that is stir-fried until it is blanched and served with white pearly rice.
As an alternative to the traditional Thai basil, the dish is often pungent and peppery.
In this Pad Kra Pao Moo, “moo” literally translates into “pork.” This dish doesn’t have a single name, rather, it is also known as Pad Gra Prao, Pad Ka Pow, and sometimes even Phat Kaphrao.
It is a common daily dish in Thailand and can be classified as street food or food market.
Fun fact: Thai people call for this dish as ‘NO IDEA’ on a day when they don’t know what to eat.
What does Pad Kra Pao taste like?
Pad Kra Pao’s taste is hard to describe, but you can say it holds all the flavors in one bite.
When you bite into it, you’ll notice a creamy and crunchy texture with a mild sweet flavor. Then the kick of spicy, salty, and tart flavors comes through making your tongue drool and doubling the salivating.
Why does Thai fried rice taste different?
Thai fried rice tastes different for three reasons.
The first is that they use jasmine rice, which is more fragrant, flakier, and prominent. The second reason is the blanched Thai basil, which is added to the cooked rice so that all the taste of basil combines into the rice, making it a bowl of distinctly flavored rice.
The addition of fish sauce and oyster sauce to the rice is the third and primary reason. Some people also use dark and light soy sauce, but that is more of a Chinese cuisine component. This allows the rice to lick up its moisture and nutrition, giving it a longer flavor than plain rice.
What is the healthiest way to cook white rice?
Any type of rice can be cooked to perfection by parboiling, steaming, or boiling.
If you’re unfamiliar with parboiling, it involves rinsing and draining the rice before cooking it on a low flame with a little bit of cleansed water. This rice has its nutrients intact and eliminates any harmful microorganisms.
The boiling and steaming are done on a high flame, which retards the high-fat oils added to them. You can always increase the nutrition with vegetables and meat on the side.
What can I add to rice to give it a flavor?
To add a unique flavor to the rice, alternate the water usage with a flavor-based cooking fluid, such as bouillon or broth, which is a great option for having delectable flavored rice.
Whereas, if the broth isn’t available, you can count on the herbs, spices, and veggies.
Frozen vegetables like peas, fresh herbs, and some dried fruits will make good combinations with jasmine rice. Though spices like creole and taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, cumin, or curry spices give them a hint of spice and taste
How to cook juicy Thai basil minced pork with rice?
INGREDIENTS:
- Minced pork
- Thai basil leaves
- White onions(diced)
- Shallot (diced)
- Garlic (minced)
- Chili (diced)
- Lime leaves
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Chicken powder
- White pepper ground
- Cooking oil
DIRECTIONS:
- In a pan, add some cooking oil; into it first add shallots and onions, and wait until they are translucent and slightly transparent.
- In these two, add the minced garlic followed by a handful of authentic Thai basil leaves. When all the components are softened and blanched, add the chilies to it.
- The pork is added in this step with enough amount of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and generous fish sauce.
- Stir the ingredients together and sprinkle them with a lot of white pepper ground and lime leaves on top. Once the pork looks juicy and infused properly dish it out on the side of the plate.
- For a different presentation, shape Thai rice into a dome shape, with a sunny egg on the edge and extra chilies on the top.
How long does minced pork need to cook through?
The amount of pork you are using will determine how long it takes to cook; if you are using one pound or less, it will be done in four to five minutes; if you are using more, double the time.
It will also depend on the level of doneness you prefer for your pork meat.
To prevent the growth of any harmful bacteria and to ensure tenderness rather than chewiness, pork meat is always cooked through (towards the center).
Under the FDA guidelines, you are strictly instructed to check the meat’s doneness with a thermometer, whether it’s poultry meat or pork; the reading should come up to the scale of 165 Fahrenheit or 71 Celsius.
How to cook minced pork with basil?
Cooking minced pork with Thai basil is straightforward and easy; first, prepare all the vegetables and ingredients and keep them side by side so that you can add them in quickly without burning or ruining the authentic Thai dish.
Saute the onion and garlic together; when they are transparent, add in the chilies and your real Thai basil, followed by the minced pork, and stir the components.
Generously pour the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and desired amount of soy sauce into the meat, with a few spices along the way. Let the meat and basil get blanched and tendered.
Top it off with a few lime leaves and chilies. Serve the juicy, basil-infused pork with jasmine rice.
How to fry an egg so that it’s sunny?
For making a “sunny side up egg,” add two to three tablespoons of cooking oil (or your preferred one) to the skillet on medium heat, crack an egg so that the yolk doesn’t pop, and cook it for 3 minutes. Then you can add the seasoning at this point.
The key step is to then cover the skillet with a lid for about 1-2 minutes to allow the white to cook more evenly while the yolk remains soft. Serve it immediately before the yolk solidifies.
Can I store cooked minced pork with basil?
Yes, you can keep the stir-fried minced pork with Thai basil in the fridge.
To store it, when the food comes to room temperature, simply put the leftover food in an air-tight container and then into a refrigerator for up to four or five days.
For longer storage, keep the container in the freezer, which will increase its life by two to three months.
What goes well with minced pork basil instead of rice?
The jasmine rice aromatized with real Thai basil leaves, topped with a runny egg, is an immaculate combination with the stir-fried minced pork meat butt. However, if you ever want to have a change in the textures and flavors, here is what you can try:
- Spaghetti
- A homemade flatbreads
- Steamed dumpling filling
- Chopped Thai salad with a dressing of sesame garlic
- Thai crispy noodles
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
| NUTRITION | PER SERVING |
| Calories | 310kcal |
| Carbs | 5g |
| Total Fat | 34.5g |
| Cholesterol | 94mg |
| Sodium | 1362mg |
| Potassium | 466mg |
| Protein | 26.9g |
SUMMARY:
- For a quick dinner and lunch, Thai basil minced pork with rice is made in 20 minutes.
- When you make this dish, it makes you and your family fall in love with it because it’s this delicious.
- Thai basil minced pork is an authentic Thai dish called Pad Kra Pao Moo.
- Make sure to use freshly minced pork for a more precise Thai food taste with a real texture.
- It is a less spicy version so, you can always upgrade the spice and the side food items like eggs to dumplings.
Related Articles:
- Chicken Adobo (Yummiest Ever)
- Thai Green Chicken Curry (The Spiciest!)
- Hotpot (All You Need To Know About It!)
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