Holy Basil Stir Fry Recipes

Steps:

• Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until coated; season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a large wok or nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Cook half the chicken, turning once, until browned, but not completely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 teaspoons oil and remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to plate. Set aside. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.
• To skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onion, and bell peppers; cook over medium-high heat, tossing often, until beginning to brown, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add 1/4 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, and chicken to pan; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil leaves. Serve immediately, over white rice, if desired.

Steps:

• If you're making rice with this dish, get it started. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chicken stock and sugar. In a mortar or small food processor, grind together the garlic and chiles into a coarse paste.
• Heat the lard in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic-chile paste, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Before the garlic starts to brown, add the beef, and stir-fry to separate the pieces and coat with fat. Add the liquid mixture, making sure not to leave any behind in the bowl, and cook until the beef is only barely pink, about 2 minutes. Add the lime leaves, and continue to cook until no pink remains on the beef, about 1 minute. Add the basil leaves, and stir until they are just starting to wilt, then remove from heat and serve with rice. (You can fish out the large pieces of makrut leaves before serving or put them aside as you eat.)

Steps:

• Leave the fresh basil leaves whole; the flowers may also be used. The dried holy basil will soften when soaked in tap water for 10-15 minutes. Pull off and discard the hard stems. Drain.
• Heat a wok until the surface is smoking hot.
• Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface.
• Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with shallots.
• Stir another few seconds before adding the chicken.
• Stir-fry a minute or two, or until most of the chicken has started to change color on the outside and is no longer pink.
• Toss in the chillies, slivered kaffir lime leaves and reconstituted dried holy basil (if using).
• Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry another 15-20 seconds.
• Then add fresh basil leaves and fish sauce to taste. Stir and mix well.
• Stir-fry another half a minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken is cooked through.
• Sprinkle with white pepper.
• Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.