Thai basil soy mince with green beans (pad kra pao)
18 min · 30 g protein · 266 cals / serving
The Bangkok street-food stir-fry, pad kra pao, made the way it is meant to be, with mince: here soy mince, fried until browned and a little chewy, then tossed with garlic, hot bird's-eye chilies, crisp-tender green beans and a salty-sweet sauce. A big handful of basil goes in last and wilts into the pan, which is where all the fragrance comes from.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dry soy mince (TVP) textured vegetable protein (tvp), dry
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp water, just off the boil
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 5 cloves garlic, pounded or minced
- 2–4 bird's-eye chilies red chili peppers, pounded or sliced
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- 2 cups green beans, cut in 1 cm (1/2-inch) pieces
Sauce
- 2 tsp tamari
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 packed cup leaves fresh basil, holy or Thai basil if you can find it
Steps
- Pour the hot water over the soy mince in a bowl, stir and leave it to soak for 5 minutes while you prepare the garlic, chilies, shallot and beans.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the soaked mince with any water left in the bowl and fry, stirring every minute or so, for 4–5 minutes until the water has gone and the mince is browned in places.
- Push the mince to one side, add the garlic, chilies and shallot to the space and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the green beans and stir-fry everything together for 2–3 minutes, until the beans are bright green but still crunchy.
- Stir the tamari, sugar and water together, pour over and toss for a minute until it has coated everything and the pan is almost dry.
- Turn off the heat, add the basil and toss until it just wilts. Taste for salt and heat and serve straight away.
Good to know
What do I serve it with?
In Thailand it comes on jasmine rice. About 1/2 cup of cooked rice per person goes well with this much mince, or use cauliflower rice for a lighter plate.
I only have sweet (Italian) basil.
Use it. Holy basil is peppery and Thai basil tastes of anise, but sweet basil still gives the dish its lift; add a few extra leaves.
Can I use tofu instead of soy mince?
Yes: crumble 14 oz of extra-firm tofu, blot it well in a towel and fry it 2–3 minutes longer in step 2. It is softer and less like the minced-meat original.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 92
- Protein
- (46%)
- 10 g
- Fat
- (12%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (41%)
- 11 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 120 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 531 kcal goes into the pot and 634 g of ingredients comes out as about 580 g of food: 92 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.