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    El Mundo Eats » Stir-Fry

    Published: Jul 18, 2019 · Updated: Jul 17, 2019 by Bea & Marco · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Basil Stir Fry

    Jump to Recipe
    Basil stir fry with rice and fried egg

    Another super fast and yummelicious recipe for a busy weekday but have-got-to-have-asian-dish kind of day.

    This basil stir fry will not disappoint, I promise.

    Let's get woking!

    Basil Stir Fry Made Easy

    This dish is inspired by non other than the famous Thai basil stir fry, of course.

    If you're living in South East Asian countries or have a magnificent Asian store nearby then you might find Thai basil very easily. But hey, not all of us are in those categories (me!).

    So if you're like me, you can easily use the typical sweet basil that you typically use in your pasta or pizza. Yes, that one.

    Since I've made this recipe before using Thai basil, so I will tell you directly that if you're looking exactly for that street food Thai stir fry taste, then you won't have it with this recipe.

    Having said that, I'm also telling you that it's as close as it gets to that deliciousness dish, using sweet basil.

    Why?

    Because we're using the exact condiments or sauces in this recipe, as you would if you're cooking Thai basil stir fry. Which are fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

    And hey, I'm even using a wok for this, and I wrote a post on how to season and care for a carbon steel wok.

    The only thing that we're substituting is the basils.

    I Don't Like Fish Sauce, What Do I Do?

    Ok, sometimes people already decided that they don't like something even before tasting it.

    That is a pity in this foodie world. Don't you think?

    I mean, I do have my dislikes on food but it's because I've tasted them and yeah... nope, I don't like them. Which is totally fine since everybody has different taste.

    If you have never tasted fish sauce in any dish before, I would really recommend that you do. Try it with this dish, you will be surprised on how invisible the fish taste is. I PROMISE!

    But if you've tasted it and still don't like it, then no worries. Like I said, it's totally fine. Just substitute it with soy sauce.

    Thai stir fry with basil

    Make It Your Own

    Savoury dishes are not exact and precise like cakes, pastries and breads.

    It's more of cooking according to your taste. It's the same with this dish also. The point is to have a balance of beautiful flavours like in this case, spiciness, saltiness and sweetness.

    I like all my meals super spicy but most of the times when I develop recipes, I don't make the recipes super spicy. I like to use my husband as the test subject. Haha!

    If he can take it then yep, that's how it will go in the recipe.

    But you adjust it to your likings, alright? Add more chili, use Thai chilies, add more fish sauce, less sugar. Be happy. Make it your own.

    Give this super fast stir fry a try. And hey, if you've made any of my recipes, do rate them in the comment section below by putting the rating stars. That will help give our little website a boost, thanks!

    In Summary

    This basil stir fry is:

    • extremely easy Asian stir fry. oh yes, believe me.
    • perfect for busy weekdays dinner or when you're craving some Asian food
    • using sweet basil, which are way easier to find
    • simply DELICIOUS! I know I say it a lot but it really is

    Before You Go

    Check out these other easy Asian meals:

    • Stir fry noodles with peanut sauce
    • Red curry laksa noodle soup
    • Kimchi fried rice
    • Stir fry glass noodles
    • Ginger steamed fish

    Video

    📖 Recipe

    Basil stir fry with rice and fried egg

    Basil Stir Fry

    Inspired by famous street food, Thai basil stir fry but with a twist by using sweet basil instead. This dish is just as delicious and more doable since sweet basil is easier to find. Do try!
    Author: Bea & Marco
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Servings: 2
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins

    Ingredients  

    The Paste

    • ½ red onion , cut into chunks
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • 1 red chili (or to your taste) , cut into chunks

    Main

    • 10.5 oz minced beef (300 g)
    • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 cup packed sweet basil leaves (40 g)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    The Paste

    • Put all ingredients in a mortar bowl and pound into a coarse paste using a pestle. Or you can simply use a chopper like this (my favourite chopper & grinder). Set aside

    Cooking

    • Heat a wok with some oil on medium high heat. Add in pounded paste and stir fry until it gets golden brown.
    • Now add in meat and the sauces, including sugar. Mix everything well and continue cooking until meat is fully cooked. Turn the heat off and add in sweet basils and mix until the leaves are wilted. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    • How To Serve: serve with some jasmine rice and fried egg.
    • Pro Tip: since it's served with rice which is usually bland, it's always a good practice to season your dish a bit more than you would if you were to eat it by itself.

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 430.4kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 28.3g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 11.5g, Cholesterol: 105.7mg, Sodium: 1201.2mg, Potassium: 626.4mg, Fiber: 1.3g, Sugar: 4.9g, Calcium: 81.3mg, Iron: 3.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @elmundoeats and tag #elmundoeats!

    More Asian Stir-Fry Recipes

    • Lo mein noodles served in a plate with chopsticks.
      10-Minute Easy Beef Lo Mein
    • RC Chinese egg noodles.
      Chinese Egg Noodles In Stand Mixer
    • Easy Mee Goreng
    • Stir Fry Noodles with Peanut Sauce in a bowl
      Stir Fry Noodles With Peanut Sauce

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Ann says

      August 18, 2019 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      I am loooving all the recipes here! and this one is a must to try this week.Luckily,I have oyster sauce that I bought from my country Philippines so I am excited to cook this recipe. Best regards all the way from Italy!😄

      Reply
      • Bea says

        August 20, 2019 at 9:41 am

        Yeay! Yes, oyster sauce is a must have in my kitchen. Hope you'll like it, thank you Ann! XO

        Reply

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    Bea and Marco from El Mundo Eats

    Hi! We're Bea & Marco, the married couple behind this food space. I cook, he takes photos & videos. Malaysian & Argentine living in Spain. All eaters welcome!

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