Recipes

Pad Kra Pao

  • 1 pound eggplant, preferably long Asian eggplants, 1/2″ diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¾ lb. minced pork
  • 1 cup Asian basil leaves, roughly chopped
  1. Salt the eggplant generously and leave in a colander to sweat for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse and drain on a clean kitchen towel.
  2. Stir/mash minced garlic, minced ginger, chiles with 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. In another small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat, until a drop of water evaporates immediately upon contact. Add 1-2 Tbsp oil, turn the heat down to medium-high, and add the garlic paste. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the meat. Stir-fry until the meat is cooked through and no traces of pink remain. Transfer from the pan or wok to a plate or bowl.
  4. Add 2-3 Tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the eggplant. Cook, stirring, until the eggplant is lightly browned and almost cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the pan, and add the fish and soy sauce mixture. Add 1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth, cover the wok or pan, turn the heat down to medium and steam for 2 minutes. Uncover, and stir in the basil leaves. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute, remove from the heat and serve with white rice.
Tags: