Thai Basil

By the time you read this I will be fleeing the country on my vaca. No crazy singing to my cat this year before I leave. Instead, in honor of my trip, I leave a little tribute to one of my favorite Thai cooking ingredients...Thai basil.

Similar in appearance to the "other basil," with a bit of purple twist, but different as day and night when it comes to flavor.  I can't articulate it except to say I love it.  Others have described it as having similarities to anise and did not like it.  I don't think it tastes like licorice, but I also don't happen to hate anise. It's the perfect ingredient for making making an otherwise dull stirfry, kind of fancy.

I started with a bit of galangal stir-fried in spoonful of coconut oil.  Galangal is another ingredient with a similarity to a more recognized one (ginger), but like Thai basil, it has it's own little flavor twist.

Toss some chicken in with the galangal and cook through.  When almost completely cooked, add 1/2 cup sliced basil leaves and 1 clove of minced garlic.  Remove from pan when completely cooked through.

Add a couple of cups of sliced veggies (I used asparagus and bok choy), some red bird chilies if you are feeling fiesty, and cook until the veggies are tender crisp.  Add the chicken back in and add a few dashes of soy sauc and a few dashes of Thai fish sauce. Easy peasy and full of Thai basil goodness.