Pad Kra Pao neu-a wua

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp water
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice

For the stir fry:

• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 chillies (green or red), finely chopped
• 1 dried chilli, chopped (optional)
• A small piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 1 pack of beef, cut into small strips (if you do not eat beef, then you can easily substitute this for prawns, chicken or pork)
• 1 green pepper, cut into squared pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into squared pieces
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• Any other vegetables, I used choi sum as well (like pak choi)
• 1 handful of Thai basil (if you cannot find this then just use regular Italian basil)
• A few tsp corn flour

Method:

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Heat 1-2tbsp vegetable or peanut oil into a wok or wide based pan on medium heat, until heated.
3. Add the garlic, chillies, dried chilli and ginger into the wok for about half a minute, stirring continuously.
4. Then add the beef to the wok. Constantly stir for about 2-3 minutes. If you are using chicken or pork you will need to cook the meat for longer than this.
5. Add the sauce to the wok.
6. Add the pepper, onion, spring onions and choi sum (if using) to the wok and cook altogether until the vegetables are cooked. (To cook the vegetables faster, I added a bit of water to the wok and put a lid on it for a few minutes on medium heat).
7. At the last minute add a handful of the basil and stir through. If the sauce is not thick enough, then take out a bit of the sauce into a cup and mix well with a few tsp of corn flour. Then return this sauce into the pan and place on high heat for a few minutes.Serve with rice or noodles, or by itself as a low- carb option.