Looking to mix up your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving turkey dinner? Emshika Alberini, chef and owner of Chang Thai Café in Littleton, shares this recipe for a Thai-inspired turkey stir fry (also known as pad krapow, or, as she calls it, PAD-KA-POW) that’ll freshen up your special Thursday meal. And to make things even easier, all of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Get cookin’!
Ingredients:
½ pound ground turkey or turkey breast
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
3 Thai bird chiles or serrano chiles
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (optional)
½ cup basil leaves
½ cup sweet white onions
¼ cup cut green beans
Turkey Holy Basil Stir Fry (PAD-KA-POW) by Chef Emshika Alberini.
Directions:
In a wok over medium heat, add the oil and garlic. Fry for a few minutes. Add chilies and adjust heat to high. Add ground turkey, pressing to break into chunks and mix with garlic and chili. Add green beans and sweet onions and cook for less than a minute. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Stir-fry for a minute until the turkey cooks all the way. Deglaze with water. Add the basil and stir-fry until wilted. Serve over steamed rice and fried eggs. Makes two servings.
About the chef
Emshika Alberini, a transplant to Littleton from her birthplace of Bangkok, Thailand, has brought a taste of her homeland to New Hampshire. She opened Chang Thai Café on Main Street in 2008 to introduce her family’s pad Thai, plus the flavors of lemongrass, cilantro and Thai basil in a variety of authentic dishes. Open for lunch and dinner.