Paris Dreams. Thai palate.

Thunder growling in a distance. Humid winds, an overcast sky.
The promise of rain and perfect music. Ah, my soul's sigh!

 I dream of Paris, and a café -- a page in cursive -- billets doux.
And Thai flavors -- palm sugar, holy basil, phrik ki nu...


Yea, yea, I seem to be in such a romantic, poetic mood, but blame the weather!!!!

And what is romance, if it is not coupled with the idea of some simple, hearty, good, home made food?

So bursting with Paris dreams, and a Thai palate, I went a-cooking. For Pad Kapgraow Gai, please find the recipe below:

Ingredients:

Minced chicken - 320 grams
Thai Holy Basil - about 30 odd grams, torn (keep a sprig aside as garnish)
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, minced
Phrik Ki Nu or Bird eye chillies - 3, thinly sliced
Peppercorns - 3 to 4, crushed
Dark Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Fish Sauce - 1 tsp
Chicken stock - a little more than half a cup
Palm Sugar - 1 tbsp
Oil - 6 tbsp

Method:

• Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic + chillies, allowing them to lightly fry till they are fragrant and tender
• Add the minced chicken to the wok and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on medium flame 
• Now pour in the chicken stock, cooking for another 5 minutes or till some of the stock has evaporated, and season with the fish sauce, soy sauce (I only had a light one, so used that, with no apparent difference in taste) and the crushed peppercorns. Allow to cook till most of the chicken stock seems to have evaporated and the chicken is tender. [The original recipe asks for oyster sauce, but I decided to skip this addition as the dish was already well seasoned. If you wish to, you can add a teaspoon of the same]
• Add the freshly torn basil leaves and palm sugar. Turn off the heat and rest the wok
• YOUR DELICIOUS PAD KAPGRAOW GAI IS READDDYYYY!!! 
• Serve immediately with steamed rice and fried eggs or if you prefer it my way, as a meal in a bowl. Do garnish with your sprig of the basil ;)

Pad Kapgraow Gai

Now, I understand that I have been M.I.A for some months in blogosphere and since I have no valid explanation for the same except for lack of inspiration, (although, in my defense, I have been cooking and concocting, only not writing) I shall compensate with another recipe of twisting the standard fried egg and making it more Asian. 

So for Asian style fried eggs, recipe below:

Ingredients:

Eggs - 1 or 2 or as many as you wish to consume (my recipe is for a single fried egg)

Scallion - 1/2, thinly sliced, including the green shoots

Red Onion - 1/2 small, finely chopped

Green chili - 1, finely chopped

Ginger - 1/2 tsp, minced

Oil - 1 tsp

Sweet chili sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp, depending on your personal preference

Method:

• Break the egg into a bowl and in the mean time, heat oil on a non-stick pan
• Toss the green chillies, chopped red onion and ginger to the oil and fry lightly, till fragrant
• Now add the egg on top of this mixture and fry as you would for a regular fried egg
• When the egg is slightly firm and opaque, add the sliced scallions on top 
• The egg should be ready within 3 to 4 minutes on a medium flame
• Serve with a generous garnish of the sweet chili sauce

Asian Style Fried Egg

Now you could either serve this along with the Pad Kapgraow Gai or rustle these up for the self for Sunday breakfast and enjoy with toast and coffee. Either way, GO DIG IN!!!

And, before I forget, both these recipes are courtesy the Good Food India magazine, so read on, cook on!

Ah, the joys of cooking *lovestruck smiley*