Mushroom pad kra pao (Vegan Thai basil stir-fry)
Community member
"Pad kra pao is one of the classics of Thai cuisine, translating to “holy basil stir-fry.” In this vegan version, a mix of finely diced mushrooms takes the center stage in lieu of the more traditional proteins, giving it a hearty taste without the need for meat or highly processed meat substitutes. If you can find it at your local Asian supermarket, I would recommend using holy basil for its distinct, fragrant aroma, but Thai basil is a tasty substitute and what we call for here. For a non-vegan diet, you can top it off with a fried egg."
Difficulty
Medium 👍Ingredients
Utensils
cutting board, knife, sieve, 2 bowls (large), pot (small), bowl (small), slotted spoon, wok, spatula
How-To Videos
How to preserve fresh herbs
How to prepare a chili
How to prepare garlic
How to clean mushrooms
How to blanch
Nutrition per serving
Step 1/3
- 100 g shiitake mushrooms
- 200 g king oyster mushrooms
- 1⅓ tsp salt
- 100 g green beans
- 2⅔ cloves garlic
- 1⅓ shallots
- 2 Thai chilis
- 20 g Thai basil
- cutting board
- knife
- sieve
- bowl (large)
- pot (small)
Clean the mushrooms and finely cube (watch the recipe video above for efficient slicing tips!) Add them to a large sieve and place over a large bowl. Combine them with the salt, thoroughly mix and set aside. Slice ends off green beans and halve. Put a small pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, mince the garlic, thinly slice shallots, and cut the Thai chili in rings—deseeding if you prefer it less spicy. Pluck the leaves of the Thai basil (or holy basil, if using).
Step 2/3
- ⅔ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1⅓ tbsp sweet soy sauce
- ⅔ tsp rice vinegar
- 50 ml water
- ⅔ tsp brown sugar
- bowl (large)
- bowl (small)
- slotted spoon
Blanch green beans in boiling, salted water for approx. 1 min. Drain and transfer to an ice bath. In a small bowl, mix the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, and water. Squeeze out most of the liquid from the mushrooms with your hands. Discard the liquid and toss squeezed mushrooms with brown sugar.
Step 3/3
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- jasmine rice (cooked, for serving)
- wok
- spatula
Heat vegetable oil in a wok or a large pan on very high heat. When the oil is hot and just starting to smoke, add chili and fry for approx. 1 min. It is essential that the oil is very hot, as this reduces the pungent heat of the chili and gives the dish its aroma. Reduce heat to high, add garlic and shallot and fry another 1 min., or until the shallot is translucent. Add the diced mushrooms, stir and cook on high heat for approx. 8 min., until the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are cooked through. Add sauce and green beans and stir-fry, then add most of the basil and stir-fry just to combine. Remove from heat, serve with hot jasmine rice, and garnish with more basil. Enjoy!
