Until recently, I’ve struggled to find a good recipe for a really delicious Thai stir fry. Everything I tried lacked the magic balance of sweet/salty/sour/bitter flavours that make a good Thai dish. Enter Bill Granger. My new favourite chef. This recipe is slightly altered from the original – I use chilli paste because fresh chilli are out of season. I also use chicken breast instead of chicken mince, and add lots more vegetables. Don’t be tempted to skip the white pepper. It adds a great flavour that standard black pepper just doesn’t provide.
Ingredients
3 zucchini, sliced
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 broccoli, cut into small florets
1 red capsicum, cored and cut into slices
5 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons chilli paste (this is for medium heat – cut back to one for mild)
1 tablespoon canola oil
500g chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon salt reduced soy sauce
1 tablespoon caster sugar
small handful of basil
large pinch white pepper
small handful of cashew nuts (optional)
In a wok, heat half the oil. Add all the vegetables and stir fry. Add a tablespoon of water during cooking to create steam. Stir fry until al dente and set aside.
Peel garlic cloves and chop finely. Crush with a fork or in a mortar and pestle. Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic and chilli paste and cook for around 30 seconds, stiring constantly. Add the chicken and cook for around 10 minutes. Add the precooked vegetables, as well as the fish sauce, soy sauce and caster sugar. Heat through for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir through the basil leaves, ground white pepper and cashews.
Serve with basmati rice.
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