‘Pad Cha’ in Thai means ‘sizzling stir fry’; it’s the sound the ingredients make when they hit the hot wok. It’s always a joy to make this dish, not only is it the perfect blend of key Thai herbs and spices, it’s also guaranteed to make your kitchen smells wonderful!
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon sliced coriander root (or stalks)
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3 garlic cloves
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1½ tablespoons chopped galangal (or very young ginger)
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3 pieces of lesser galangal, finely sliced (leave out if unavailable)
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2 lemongrass stalks, chopped
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3 hot red chillies
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3 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon oyster sauce
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1 tablespoon light soy sauce
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
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1 container of mixed seafood (or 5 prawns, 5 mussels, 5 scallops, and 150g squid)
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1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
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4 baby green peppercorn sprigs roughly chopped
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½ onion, sliced
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1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
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2 tablespoons water or stock
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To serve
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Sweet basil leaves (Thai or Italian ones)
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Steamed jasmine rice
Method
- Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound or blitz the coriander root, garlic, chopped galangal, lemongrass and chillies into a paste.
- Heat the oil in a wok set over a medium heat. Stir-fry the paste you have made for a few seconds until it is fragrant, then stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and black peppercorns.
- Add the squid, prawns, mussels and scallops, tossing to combine.
- Season with the fish sauce, then add the lesser galangal, green
- peppercorns and onion and combine well.
- Pour in the Chinese rice wine and a bit of water to loosen the sauce.
- Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until everything is cooked through.
- Add sweet basil leaves and turn off heat. Serve hot with jasmine rice.
