Spicy Stir-fried Chicken with Eggplant
Gai Pad Prik Kaeng sai Makua
Chicken and Thai eggplant stir-fried in red curry paste with basil
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- medium
This is exactly the kind of dish that shows up on plate-lunch counters throughout Thailand: red curry paste fried until fragrant, chicken cooked through in that base, then chunks of eggplant added to soak up the sauce as they soften. A short soak in salted water keeps the eggplant's color bright through cooking. Everything moves fast once the wok is hot, so having the chicken cut, the eggplant quartered, and the basil picked before you start is what keeps the dish from overcooking while you're still prepping.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 large legs' worth Chicken leg meat, boneless (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 10 Thai eggplants (quartered, soaked briefly in salted water)
- 5 Thai long chilies (sliced diagonally)
- 1 1/3 cups Thai sweet basil (leaves and flower tops)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 3/4 teaspoons Light soy sauce
- 2 3/4 teaspoons Fish sauce
- 2/3 teaspoon Sugar
Directions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cut the eggplant into quarters and soak briefly in water with a little salt to help it keep its color; drain and rinse well before using. Slice the chilies and pick the basil leaves.
- Heat oil in a wok over low heat. Add the red curry paste and fry gently until smooth and fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and stir-fry until fully cooked and the mixture looks dry and starts sticking to the pan.
- Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir and cook until the sugar melts and a little sauce forms. Add a splash of water and stir until smooth.
- Drain and rinse the eggplant, then add it to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until it starts to soften, adding small splashes of water as needed to keep the dish saucy rather than dry.
- Add the sliced chili and stir-fry for about a minute more. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil, and let it wilt in the residual heat.
- Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with a few extra basil tops.
Notes
Fry the curry paste low and slow before adding the chicken — rushing this step with high heat leaves the paste tasting raw instead of deeply savory.
Substitutions
Chicken breast, pork, or beef all work in place of the chicken leg meat. Any firm eggplant can stand in for round Thai eggplant — just cut it into similarly sized pieces.