Pad kra pao (Thai basil chicken with jasmine rice)

SERVES 2 90g jasmine rice

½tsp sea salt

2 large chicken breasts, skin removed, cut into 1cm pieces 3 red chillies

6 garlic cloves

2 large eggs

4tbsp coconut oil

2tbsp oyster sauce

2tbsp soy sauce large pinch coconut sugar (available to buy in most supermarkets or online at

groovyfood.co.uk) 25g Thai basil, leaves removed lime wedges, to serve

pestle and mortar Put the rice in a sieve and wash under a tap until the water is clear. Place in a medium saucepan with the salt and 250ml boiling water. Bring back to the boil, cover, lower the heat and cook for 12 minutes. Fluff up the grains of rice with a fork and cover again.

Roughly chop the chillies, removing some seeds as you go. Peel the garlic then cut each clove into three pieces. Using the pestle and mortar, pound the chilli and garlic into a chunky paste.

Crack the eggs into separate bowls. Heat a wok over a high heat and add half the coconut oil. Add one egg, then the other, and fry carefully, basting with hot oil until they’re crispy around the edges but the yolks are still soft. Transfer to a plate and cover with a bowl to keep warm.

Wipe out the wok and add the remaining coconut oil. Once it has heated up, add the chilli and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir for a further 1 minute. Add the oyster and soy sauces and coconut sugar and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is just tender and cooked through, then fold in most of the Thai basil and remove from the heat.

Place the rice in bowls, top with the chicken, fried egg and remaining basil leaves. Serve with lime wedges.