SWEET THAI BASIL

Thai Basil

'Sweet Thai Basil' WHOA what a flavour! I have this growing in one of my Birdies raised beds with my lettuce and it is amazing. The flavour is very strong with a bit of a star anise like scent and liquorice which I find is perfect for Thai cooking.
 I find this basil and the Greek basil a lot more hardier than the common basil, it seems to put up with our humid weather and at the moment heavy rainfall!
You can grow basil in pots inside during winter so it wont catch a frost, I have never done this, I just put some sun shade over my bed for protection.
To keep the bush from going to seed, pinch out the flowers when you see them as this will encourage bushy growth. I keep the flowers and dry them out for seed collection later on especially if it has been a really good basil.. Best grown with Tomato as helps with the bugs.

I make this yummy Chicken stir fry from Spirit House Cookbook and you can tell when I don't use the Thai basil.

STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH THAI ROASTED CHILLI, BASIL, GREEN BEANS AND CASHEWS..

Whats in it

500g         chicken thigh
200g         green beans
2tblsp       vegetable oil
4               garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3               golden shallots, peeled and sliced
2tblsp       Thai roasted chilli paste (asian grocery) *see note
1tblsp       oyster sauce
1tblsp       fish sauce
2tsp          palm sugar
2               large red chillies, deseeded and cut into strips. ( I don't deseed cos I like it hot)
1cup         Thai Basil or common basil
1/2cup      roasted unsalted cashews
lime wedges to serve

What to do

Slice the chicken thighs into strips and place in a bowl. Top and tail beans and cut into 3cm pieces. Set aside.
Heat vege oil in a wok to high and stir fry the chicken, shallots and garlic until the chicken is sealed. Add the roasted chilli paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, chillies and green beans.
Keep frying until the chicken is cooked through. Add the basil and cashews and cook briefly until the basil wilts.
Serve with steamed jasmine rice and lime wedges.

* I bought my roasted chilli paste from an Asian grocery. Photo below or you could always use my Black Cobra Chilli Jam.. Yummo

Thai chilli paste