Khao Pad Krapao — Basil Fried Rice / ข้าวผัดกะเพรา

Ingredients

• 400 g day-old jasmine rice, cold, dry, loosened by hand
• 2 eggs, one scrambled in wok, one fried as topping
• 1 large handful holy basil leaves (krapao), picked; not sweet basil
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce, for colour only
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, high smoke-point

Method

1. 1
   Bring the wok to maximum heat until it smokes visibly, then add half the oil and crack one egg directly into the wok. Scramble it rapidly with a spatula, breaking the yolk immediately and spreading the egg across the wok surface, so it sets in thin, lacey sheets that will cling to the rice grains rather than clump in a mass. The egg is ready when just set but still glistening — it must not be fully dry.
2. 2
   Add the cold day-old rice in a single motion, pressing and tossing it against the wok surface continuously so the grains separate and each one contacts the hot metal — cold rice is essential here because its surface is dry and firm, whereas warm or freshly cooked rice carries too much surface moisture and causes the grains to clump and steam rather than fry. This is where the dish lives or dies: if the batch is too large, the wok temperature drops instantly and the result is irretrievably sodden. The rice is ready when the grains are separate, lightly coloured at the edges, and the wok sounds dry rather than wet.
3. 3
   Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and dark soy, then toss rapidly for no more than 20 seconds so the seasoning coats the grains without pooling, because any sauce that sits still on the hot wok floor scorches and turns acrid before it can be distributed. The colour should be an even pale amber; no dark wet patches.
4. 4
   Remove the wok from the heat entirely before adding the holy basil leaves, then fold them through the rice in the residual heat only, so the leaves wilt and surrender their peppery, clove-like fragrance without the direct flame turning them black and bitter. The leaves should wilt within 10 to 15 seconds; smell confirms readiness — the aroma is sharp and clove-like, not scorched.
5. 5
   In a separate pan with the remaining oil, fry the second egg until the white is set and the edges are lightly crisped but the yolk remains runny, so it breaks at the table and acts as a rich, uncooked sauce against the seasoned rice. Plate the rice immediately, set the fried egg on top, and serve within five minutes — beyond that, the basil continues to cook in residual heat and its character is lost.