The Zesty Basil Leaf!
Living for over 7 months in Thailand, I know somewhat about the ingredients that go in the Thai food. Well, the cuisine is extensive, but to cut it short, just like Coriander (Kotmir) is to us, basil leaves is to the Thais. Basil, which is originally from India, but u must’ve experienced the flavor in dishes with pesto sauce. But that’s when its chutneyfied into pesto cream. It’s like getting the flavor of sprinkled coriander on food and then getting it in the green chutney. Too much comparison…it’s starting to bore me now. Coming to the point. I love any dishes with basil leaves. A very popular dish in Thailand, and easy as hell to cook. Over here people have it with pork, beef or chicken…but we need a veggie option here. So I just replaced chicken, beef and pork with mushrooms, mashed tofu or French beans. In Bangkok the dishes are called as Kapao Moo – fried basil leaf with pork Kapao Kaai – fried Basil leaf with chicken Kapao Nua – fried basil leaf...