Thai Basil

Thai basil or 'ho-ra-pa' is different than the sweet basil or Italian basil in supermarket. It has smaller leaves with purple stems.  It is available at oriental grocery stores and farmers markets. If you can get some seeds, it is very easy to grow. Choose a sunny spot, you will have you Thai basil all summer along. Pick often to encourage growth.

I often get hora-pa mixed with gra-pow, holy basil. My mom taught me how to remember which is which by noticing the hair on the leaves and branches. The one without the hair is hora- pa and the one with hair is 'gra-pow'.

Recipes made with Thai basil

• 

  Basil Eggplant

  Pud Makua Yow

  Stir fried eggplant with basil and chili pepper.

• 

  Chicken Curry

  Gang Gai

  Chicken and Thai eggplant in red curry

• 

  Spicy Clams with Basil

  Hoy Pad Prig

  Manila clams in spicy basil sauce.

• 

  Steamed Curried Fish

  Haw Moak

  Steamed, marinated fish in curry paste and coconut milk on vegetables.

• 

  Green Curry with Chicken

  Gang Kiew Wan Gai

  Green curry made with chicken and pea eggplant.

• 

  Pumpkin Curry

  Gang Ped Fug Tong

  Creamy and mild pumpkin curry.

• 

  Vegetarian Pumpkin Curry

  Gang Ped Fug Tong Mungsavirat

  Vegetarian creamy, mild pumpkin curry

• 

  Sour Bamboo Curry

  Gang Gai Naw Mai Dong

  Sour pickled bamboo shoot cooked in red curry paste and coconut milk

Comment through Facebook