Pad Kraprow Naw Mai - Spicy Basil Bamboo Shoots
Sorry for the MIA-ness lately. The early sunsets and late sunrises have made photographing my food a little tricky… So seriously, please send me any lighting tips my way - they would be very appreciated. I’m a bit of a photography noob but I’ve really enjoyed playing around and honing this new skill.
I just got back from a great weekend home at my parents house in Central Illinois. My oldest brother came home from a destination wedding in Tanzania. Both him and I were a bit “meated” out from his trip to Africa and my string of friendsgiving indulgences that ranged from turkey, ham, meatloaf and copious amounts of Chicago style sushi. After some searching around my parents pantry I was able to come up with this dish, a vegan version of the very popular Pad Krapow Gai.
Image Via The Road to Good Life
For this I highly recommend using dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. The sugars from the dark soy sauce allows for the bamboo shoots to caramelize and make this dish really satiating. You can mince the garlic and chillies if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, but if you do see yourself making a lot of Thai food in the future I would highly recommend getting a mortar.
I particularly like this brand of soy sauces. You’ll see me using them in a lot of recipes. The orange cap is best for braising and adding sweetness. The white cap is great for adding salinity and brininess. The blue cap is extra thick, but for ease and cabinet space you don’t need it. It should be about $2-3 at your local asian grocer. To open it, just slice off the small part of the plastic nipple.
