Pad Krapow _______? How Do You Usually Have It?

[kurnell]

I had kapow roo in Australia.

Did you?

Um....yes...?

[blue eyes]

I had kapow roo in Australia.

Did you?

Um....yes...?

WOW really?? In Australia?Do they really have it there?

[canuckamuck]

Surprised pad krapow gohp isn't on the list, it is more common than you might think. I like it that way if they use just the meat, but unfortunately most times the frog is just chopped up and tossed in. I hate bones in my food, feet too.

Nice flavor though otherwise.

my main method is still, moo kai dow

Jingthing you are right about the litmus test for restaurants.

[kurnell]

I had kapow roo in Australia.

Did you?

Um....yes...?

WOW really?? In Australia?Do they really have it there?

We stayed in a serviced apartment, bought some roo at Coles, kapow at Thai town and made it ourselves. Probably do emu and croc next time.

[Pdaz]

There's a lot of variety when it comes to Pad Krapow... Pretty sure everybody has their own favourite.. But it ha been my experience if you order it in a place where farangs are the main client base .. you can expect to be disapointed..

For me I like Krapow Muu (pork) the best.. But it's the choice of meat/whatever that is important.. It's how it is cooked and the ingredients.. I hate to see those pale bland and lifeless looking pad krapow's.. The pan needs to extreamly hot and the meat/whatever and the sauce needs to be cooked 'hard' to colour the ingredients and give flavour.. Insipid krapow with hardly any chilli and only a minute amount of garlic just doesn't cut it..

So for me I like it dark brown with most of the sauce reduced and absorbed..Plenty of pounded chilli and garlic and not too sweet..

The other thing that is super important to my taste is that the egg needs to be a 'Dao Thai' an egg fried Thai style in very hot fat until it is wel browned and slightly crispy on the outside.. Nothing worse for me than a runny 'sunny side up' barely cooked farang fried egg on top.. euuuuuuuu

I'm sure there are exceptions but side street 'tin hut' restos or mobile food vendors make the best pad krapow... Forget those 'hiso' 90-120 baht farang resto versions.. you can't beat the 30 baht roadside original..

[DP25]

The other thing that is super important to my taste is that the egg needs to be a 'Dao Thai' an egg fried Thai style in very hot fat until it is wel browned and slightly crispy on the outside.. Nothing worse for me than a runny 'sunny side up' barely cooked farang fried egg on top.. euuuuuuuu

Completely opposite for. The yolk has to be runny with my krapow. I'll eat it if it's well done, but I much prefer a runny yolk that will get all over my rice. yum!

[Jingthing]

Love the runny egg!

[canuckamuck]

a runny yolk is the crowning glory on a perfect pad Krapow

[SantiSuk]

Recipe

Wonderful Thai dish, as it has such a distinctive Thai aromatic flavour and is so quick and easy to make. I copied my recipe from Darwin's weloveubon.com website, but now I cannot find it again, so hopefully the below rendition is pretty faithful.

2 Tbsps soya bean oil

4 cloves garlic crushed and chopped with skin left on

2-4 small chillies crushed

200 grams of meat/seafood cut into bite size chunks (Darwin suggests you marinate meat in hot water for 10 mins first but this is not essential)

1 tbsp fish sauce - I agree with Jingthing, absolutely essential (Darwin suggests a bit more than this but I found the result a bit salty)

1 tbsp oyster sauce (Darwin suggests 2 - you will want to cook this dish a lot it's so easy, so you will find your own taste level quickly re quantities)

1 tsp granulated sugar (or 2 if you prefer sweeter food)

10 small Thai Holy Basil leaves for marinade

30 larger Thai Holy basil leaves for late in cooking (if making in the West sweet basil makes an interesting dish, but it ain't gaphao!)

Darwin suggests you first marinade the meat/fish in a bowl with the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and small basil leaves, mixing together thoroughly

Put wok on medium heat, heat oil until a test piece of garlic frizzles appreciably but not madly. Add the garlic and let it go light brown until you smell the garlic oil. If the garlic goes dark or burns, throw away and start again. Add the marinated meat/seafood mix and the remaining holy basil and the chillies. Cook for no more than 4 minutes to your liking - seafood and chicken can be a matter of a couple of minutes.

Put on top of rice (or wokked or steamed vegetables if you prefer). In my opinion, although I love khao niaow, it has to be fresh steamed khao suay (with a bit of prik naam plaa).

Serves 2 if you have smallish appetite or if it is one of several dishes you are serving. Big dish for one.

Wonderful stuff.

Actually, I have learnt by watching my wife and the typical small restaurant cooks that it's much easier and every bit as tasty to skip the marinading (and even hot water soaking) bit. Wok the garlic, add the meat/fish to flash-seal, then add the sugar, chillies and fish/oyster sauces, then finally add the holy basil (two medium handfuls of leaves = a bunch about the size you get for 3-5 baht in a typical Isaan village market). Cook for 2 minutes (chicken, seafood) to 3 minutes (pork, beef).

If you really love the gaphao taste then you may want to add even more holy basil than suggested above!

Don't blow me out of he water if this is not how you make it - it's all a matter of taste.

[Pdaz]

That's the idea of the Thai style egg.. It's cooked quickly in hot oil.. The outside is crispy and brown whilst the yolk inside remains runny... It's just the insipid snotty egg white that I want well cooked..

[aircut]

funny thread.... Pad Krapow is a staple thai food with some very imaginative versions.

here are some of the less known some are very good.

ผัดกระเพราเครื่องในไก่ (w/chicken internal organs)

ผัดกระเพราหมูกรอบ (w/crispy pork)

ผัดกระเพราเป็ดย่าง (w/roasted duck)

ผัดกะเพรากุ้งสับ (w/ minced shrimps)

ปลาดุกฟูผัดกระเพรา (w/ pla dok foo )

ผัดกระเพราเห็ด (w/ mushroom )

ผัดกระเพราปลาหมึกยัดไส้ (w/ stuffed squid)

ผัดกะเพราฟองเต้าหู้ (w/ fong tao hoo. tofu paper)

ผัดกระเพราไข่เยี่ยวม้า (w/ 1000 years eggs)

ข้าวผัดกระเพรา (w/ fried rice version)

[galvheim]

Hmmm... My ex-landlord from Sakon-Nakon told me he was a big fan of Pad Krapao Máa

In Srisaket, or more exactly KhuKhan I was introduced to Pad Krapao Noó... Yes, thats respectivley dog and rat we're talking about.

I voted for Pad Krapao Moo, with Kai Dao, Pet Tama-da, mai Waan. I really eat this as breakfast every 9 out of 10 mornings.

I like it normal spicy. I sometimes ask for more pork in it, as some chefs are a little bit too kee-niao with the pork and not so much cheap when it comes to rice. I like the rice and beef to match perfectly so that I will empty them in a proportional harmonious rate.

Also I HATE when they mix sugar in it. A little bit, as little as its not in any way dominant enough to be felt, is ok. But sometimes they add so much that it caramelize with the rest of it, making a goo of Pat and Krapao and rice, tasting very sweet. I see many Thais like this mixing of sweet and salt, but for me I really hate it! I love sugar, but not in a salty dish like this.

I also like when they put vegetables like baby-corn and mushrooms in it. When you know your Pad-Krapao it really is a good indication of the rest they serve, at least when it comes to Thai-food.

Edited January 7, 2010 by galvheim

[zachary]

with pornk, and egg on top

[aircut]

Also I HATE when they mix sugar in it. A little bit, as little as its not in any way dominant enough to be felt, is ok. But sometimes they add so much that it caramelize with the rest of it, making a goo of Pat and Krapao and rice, tasting very sweet. I see many Thais like this mixing of sweet and salt, but for me I really hate it! I love sugar, but not in a salty dish like this.

galvheim, in pat krapao, sugar is seldom used. if you encounter sweet versions i bet its because they over did the black sweet soy sauce usually used to give a nice dark color to the ground pork....

[skybluestu]

Minced beef, plenty of vegetables and a dash of Lea & Perrins sauce, aroi mak mak!

[Gippy]

Crispy pork for me. The wife buys the pork at the market and we pick the basil fresh from our garden, fantastic!

[Jingthing]

It is such a simple recipe, so quick to cook, and so bloody delicious. Truly represents the essence of the wonderfulness of Thai food!

[tb86]

Hmmm... My ex-landlord from Sakon-Nakon told me he was a big fan of Pad Krapao Máa

In Srisaket, or more exactly KhuKhan I was introduced to Pad Krapao Noó... Yes, thats respectivley dog and rat we're talking about.

I voted for Pad Krapao Moo, with Kai Dao, Pet Tama-da, mai Waan. I really eat this as breakfast every 9 out of 10 mornings.

I like it normal spicy. I sometimes ask for more pork in it, as some chefs are a little bit too kee-niao with the pork and not so much cheap when it comes to rice. I like the rice and beef to match perfectly so that I will empty them in a proportional harmonious rate.

Also I HATE when they mix sugar in it. A little bit, as little as its not in any way dominant enough to be felt, is ok. But sometimes they add so much that it caramelize with the rest of it, making a goo of Pat and Krapao and rice, tasting very sweet. I see many Thais like this mixing of sweet and salt, but for me I really hate it! I love sugar, but not in a salty dish like this.

I also like when they put vegetables like baby-corn and mushrooms in it. When you know your Pad-Krapao it really is a good indication of the rest they serve, at least when it comes to Thai-food.

yup had the pad krapao rat.... but i was assured it was "country rat" as opposed to the less desirable "city rat" was ok, im not lining up to have it again but.... who knows

[healthcaretaker]

There's a lot of variety when it comes to Pad Krapow... Pretty sure everybody has their own favourite.. But it ha been my experience if you order it in a place where farangs are the main client base .. you can expect to be disapointed..

For me I like Krapow Muu (pork) the best.. But it's the choice of meat/whatever that is important.. It's how it is cooked and the ingredients.. I hate to see those pale bland and lifeless looking pad krapow's.. The pan needs to extreamly hot and the meat/whatever and the sauce needs to be cooked 'hard' to colour the ingredients and give flavour.. Insipid krapow with hardly any chilli and only a minute amount of garlic just doesn't cut it..

So for me I like it dark brown with most of the sauce reduced and absorbed..Plenty of pounded chilli and garlic and not too sweet..

The other thing that is super important to my taste is that the egg needs to be a 'Dao Thai' an egg fried Thai style in very hot fat until it is wel browned and slightly crispy on the outside.. Nothing worse for me than a runny 'sunny side up' barely cooked farang fried egg on top.. euuuuuuuu

I'm sure there are exceptions but side street 'tin hut' restos or mobile food vendors make the best pad krapow... Forget those 'hiso' 90-120 baht farang resto versions.. you can't beat the 30 baht roadside original..

Oh.....I finally find a thread on my favourite food. Good to last me until I come back to Thailand for the real food.

Surpise chicken type is so much less popular. Usually, I asked the stall owner which is popular, beef and chicken are more highly recommended.

Is it that foreigners prefer pork ? Not sure how many % of voters are Thais.

Sometime I oredered with shrimnps, I think it's very nice and quite different from those 3 meats.

25 or 30 baht with the cooked dish poured on the rice is too small portion for me

It's taste even better when it dried up a little as in those breakfast or supermarket pack but downside is it got cold and the portion is meant for babies.

BTW, how much will they normally charge if ordered seperate from the rice ?

Recently in Chiang Mai, I asked the restaurant for the price. 30 bath with rice together and 40baht seperate. I ordered seperate on pork and it's easily 2 or 3 times more. I will never go for it served on rice together. How about other places ?

This is the only Thai dish that I can survive on solely, without a second dish in a meal but vege part too little. I am sure you cannot put too much basil. Has anyone tried adding other vegetables into it ? Some places add long bean, any other good adds ?

For home cook, will most people prefer the meat(if chicken) to be sliced or minced ?

I used to observe how they cook hoping to learn(this is the advantage of eating roadside or foodcourt, beside faster, cheaper and feel safer since I see the cooking). I notice the basil leaves are placed last and normally for not more than a minute before the fire will be off. Most mentioned above 2 minutes, which timing is better ?

Strange, why only the rice dish will come with an egg and not if you orfer seperate ?

I will like the egg to be well fried too. If not, it's like having western breakfast on Thai rice.

OK, this much from me for the time being.

Any more tips, variations or recipes before I make my first attempt to cook it ?

BTW, which are the places that local Thais find that serve this dish well in Bangkok and Chiangmai ?

[healthcaretaker]

I have not voted yet.

Why is it that it's stated I have voted after visiting the 2 page ?

[tigerfish]

pad krapow gop. they make a mean one at the fishing place on on-nut 44.

also as another poster has stated, pad krapow mah. speciality in sakhon nakhon.

[robbo1]

Pad Kaprow Moo Kai Dow Arroy Mak Mak

[healthcaretaker]

Pad Kaprow Moo Kai Dow Arroy Mak Mak

Where or what is this ? Some English please

[Jingthing]

Pad Kaprow Moo Kai Dow Arroy Mak Mak

Where or what is this ? Some English please

It means fried pork with basil with a fried egg is very delicious.

[healthcaretaker]

Pad Kaprow Moo Kai Dow Arroy Mak Mak

Where or what is this ? Some English please

It means fried pork with basil with a fried egg is very delicious.

OIC, thanks.

Like to hear from some Thais' opinions from what I find below:

http://www.asianfood-recipes.com/ThaiRecip..._Vegetables.php

I don't know if the above recipe is originally Thai or modified. Itr appears good as there is a good balance of vegetables in it but...will it taste good ?

I imagine baby corn and green beans can go along but Chinese mushroom & cauliflower ? Has anyone tried. It will be great if it can blend well, I love mushrooms.

How many leaves are there in 2 sprigs of basil leaves ? Is it too few basil for this recipe of 4 people ?

Is there too much pepper ? 2 tablespoon of green peppercorns(if added) and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder.

Will like to hear from some Thai experts of this dish.

[Jingthing]

That is a different dish. Certainly not pad krapow. Sometimes pad krapow has small amounts of small veggie pieces mixed in (such as green bean, baby corn) but the classic traditional dish is only the meat (usually mince for chicken and pork), the basil, and the spices. Cheers.

[healthcaretaker]

OP,

You must have tried this dish in many places.

Can you give some recommendations on where you find them best ? Which stalls or restaurants ?

So far, I best I had is a a roadside stall in Mae Sai and a stall inside the Chiang Mai Warorot market.

[Matt1288]

I liked it with pork but very spicy! I also prefer it when it's more wet and I like a nice KAI JIEW ontop (which is basically a fried scrambled egg).

[healthcaretaker]

It's difficult to get holy basil in Kuala Lumpur. They only have the bigger leaves Sweet Basil, is it ok to use ?

[Jingthing]

It's difficult to get holy basil in Kuala Lumpur. They only have the bigger leaves Sweet Basil, is it ok to use ?

No it needs to be Thai basil. You should try using mint leaves. Its a different dish of course but quite good with mint leaves.