Have you had that revelatory moment yet? You know the one, where you’re eagerly gobbling up your favorite Thai dishes, and you suddenly realize that the thing you love most about Thai food is the abundant use of basil. It shows up in curries, stir-fries, noodle dishes—so many dishes get a fragrant boost from this simple herb.
There are many different varieties of basil, though, and in America the most readily available variety is not the kind that’s typically used in Thai cuisine. Authentically Thai dishes would ideally be made with holy basil, but that’s OK! We’re calling for sweet basil here, simply because we know you’ll be able to find it—though if you can find holy basil, by all means use it.
Even with this non-traditional swap, this dish is still very delicious and brims with Thai flavors thanks to fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and plenty of garlic and chili paste.
Ingredients:
Thai Basil Beef Sauce
Way of preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl combine chili paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice until incorporated, set aside.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring often, about 6 minutes.
Step 3
Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the beef and cook until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Pour the sauce mixture along with the fresh basil (reserving a fresh few leaves for the top) and continue cooking until basil starts to wilt.
Step 5
Serve over rice topped with fresh basil and fresh cilantro.