Thai Basil Chicken & Coconut Rice

Submitted by Ska Wes.

Thai Basil Chicken & Coconut Rice

I have made this recipe as close to the basil chicken I used to get at an awesome Thai restaurant that closed down a few years a go. I apologize for the lack of pictures, next time I make this I will try to take pictures and edit this!

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET SOME OF THESE STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS THAI INGREDIENTS!

Don't worry friend, most likely you can get what you need in just about any town of a decent size. You may have to go to an asian grocer to get the black soy sauce, thai chillis, and black soy sauce. Most grocery stores will not carry these items, I know none of the major commercial grocery stores in my area do. All you need to do is look for an asian grocer, it doesn't have to be a thai grocer, most general asian grocers will carry all of the above mentioned ingredients.

If for some reason you live in an area where you just can't obtain these ingredients, you can do some substituting and still pull off the dish. Instead of thai basil you can use regular bail. Instead of thai chilis you can use jalapeno peppers. Instead of black soy sauce you can use a mixture of equal parts dark soy sauce and either palm sugar or blackstrap molasses.

Coconut Rice Ingredients

2 cups white rice 2 cups coconut milk 2 cups water 1/2 tsp. salt OPTIONAL: Ground peanuts

Coconut Rice Cooking Instructions

Put all ingredients except for the peanuts in to a pot and bring to a gentle boil. Let it maintain the boil for a few minutes, then kick the heat down to medium low and place the lid on the pot. Make sure that you leave the lid slightly off the pot so it is not completely sealed. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes, depending on your stove. While this is cooking you will have plenty of time to stir fry your chicken. If you do manage to have the rice done before the chicken, turn the heat completely off and place the lid tightly down on top of your pot, you can keep your rice warm for about 30 minutes this way. We will get to the peanuts after the basil chicken.

Basil Chicken Ingredients

2-3 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying 10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces 12-20 Thai chillies cut into very thin rounds 2-3 tsp. black soy sauce (the semi-sweet kind) 1.5 Cup Fresh Thai Basil coarsely chopped (If you prefer you can also chiffanade it) Dash of ground pepper

Basil Chicken Cooking Instructions

Take your wok and heat it up until smoking hot, add the oil and coat the surface of the wok, then add your garlic and stir for a few seconds. Once you can smell the garlic throw in your shallots and stir for about a minute, until the shallots become soft.

Now throw in your chicken and let it stir fry for about 2 minutes, while making sure that all chicken gets contact with the hottest part of your wok. Once the chicken is no longer pink, now toss in your thai chilis, basil, and black soy soy sauce. Stir fry for another minute or two until the basil is wilted, check to make sure your chicken is completely cooked, and remove from the heat.

By now your rice should just be getting done, or has been keeping warm while you are finishing up. Serve the rice in to 4 bowls (Or two, three, whatever you want.) Now is where your optional peanuts come in to play. I like to spread a thin layer of peanuts over the rice, then lay down the chicken on top of that. If you do not like peanuts, or if you are one of these people that will die the instant a nut touches your lip, you should probably leave it out.

And viola, you are done! What you have is a delicious healthy meal that really doesn't take much time to cook. If you have a food processor you can cut down on prep / cutting time by putting your garlic in the food processor, then your basil. It beats having to do it all by hand.