''Phat kaphrao'' ( th, ผัดกะเพรา, ; ), also spelled ''pad krapow'', ''kaprao'', is one of the most popular Thai à la carte dishes.

History

By some accounts, ''phat kaphrao'' was included as part of Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram's

Thai cultural mandates The cultural mandates or state decrees ( th, รัฐนิยม; ; literally "state fashion" or "state customs') were a series of twelve edicts issued between 1939 and 1942 by the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram during his fir ...

during WWII. ''Phat kaphrao'', as well as '' pad thai'', were one of the promoted dishes in local Thai food contests. ''Phat kaphrao'' was inspired by stir frying, a staple cooking process of

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...

. Some of the first four survivors of the Tham Luang cave rescue asked for ''phat kaphrao'' as their first proper meal after two weeks of being trapped inside the cave.

Ingredients

''Phat kaphrao'' consists of meat such as pork, chicken, beef, and seafood stir fried with Thai holy basil and garlic. It is served with rice and topped up (optional) with fried eggs or ''khai dao'' ( th, ไข่ดาว). The main seasonings are soy sauce, Thai fish sauce, oyster sauce (optional), cane sugar, and

bird's eye chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili (Thai: ''prik ki nu'', พริกขี้หนู, literally "mouse dung chili" owing to its shape) is a chili pepper, a variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southea ...

. Over time, ''phat kaphrao'' has evolved with the addition of other ingredients such as Chinese century eggs and Thai local vegetables, namely asparagus beans,

baby corn An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

s, onions, carrots,

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, ...

banana peppers The banana pepper (also known as the yellow wax pepper or banana chili) is a medium-sized member of the chili pepper family that has a mild, tangy taste. While typically bright yellow, it is possible for them to change to green, red, or orange as ...

, mushrooms, Chinese kales,

bamboo shoots Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including '' Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and ...

and coconut shoots. However, adding vegetables in ''phat kaphrao'' is also seen as an effort to reduce the cost of meat and increase profit margins on the part of food vendors. Common variants: * ''Phat kaphrao kai'' () – stir-fried holy basil with chicken * ''Phat kaphrao mu'' () – stir-fried holy basil with pork * ''Phat kaphrao mu sap'' () – stir-fried holy basil with minced pork * ''Phat kaphrao tap mu'' () – stir-fried holy basil with pork livers * ''Phat kaphrao mu krop'' () – stir-fried holy basil with crispy pork belly * ''Phat kaphrao nuea'' () – stir-fried holy basil with beef * ''Phat kaphrao nuea sap'' () – stir-fried holy basil with minced beef * ''Phat kaphrao lukchin'' () – stir-fried holy basil with meatballs * ''Phat kaphrao kung'' () – stir-fried holy basil with prawns * ''Phat kaphrao pla muek'' () – stir-fried holy basil with squid * ''Phat kaphrao ruam mit'' () – stir-fried holy basil with meat and seafood * ''Phat kaphrao ruam mit thale'' () – stir-fried holy basil with seafood * ''Phat kaphrao khai yiao ma'' () – stir-fried holy basil with Chinese century eggs * ''Phat kaphrao het'' () – stir-fried holy basil with mushrooms

References

Thai cuisine {{thai-cuisine-stub