Spicy Thai Pork with Basil & Green Beans

When I visited Bangkok with a friend, we stumbled upon a street vendor selling packets of stir-fried Thai basil pork with rice and a fried egg. We were starving after wandering around the city and the gorgeous dish was too good to pass up. The portion was huge and the pork was so flavorful and spicy (beware the red chilies)!

I’ve been craving this dish and decided to change it up by adding some vegetables to it for a more well-rounded meal. Thai holy basil is typically used in this dish but if it’s not readily available in your city, you can substitute it with Thai sweet basil found in Asian markets and farmers markets.

Spicy Thai Pork with Basil & Green Beans Stir Fry Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon corn flour
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 150g raw ground pork (about 1.5 cups)
• 7 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• 3-5 Thai birds eye chilies (depends on how spicy you want it)
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1.5 cups green beans sliced at an angle
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce*
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup whole Thai basil leaves, separated from stems
• 2 eggs

*Dark soy sauce can be found in Asian markets but if you can’t find it, substitute with regular soy sauce.

Method:

Cook the rice first, either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. If on the stove top, add the rice and water in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 20 minutes until the water is evaporated.

In a medium bowl, add corn flour, soy sauce, white pepper and fish sauce with the raw ground pork. Mix well and set aside.

In a large pan, fry garlic, chili and shallots in oil. When it’s fragrant, add the green beans. Fry over medium heat for a few minutes until the green beans are almost cooked. Then add the ground pork, dark soy sauce and sugar. Add one tablespoon of water if it gets too dry. Continue to stir fry until the pork is cooked. Add the sweet basil leaves last and stir the dish together for a few seconds before turning off the heat.

In a separate pan, fry up two eggs sunny side up. Serve the eggs and meat together with jasmine rice.