Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

Mix together in a small bowl: 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce and 1 teaspoon palm sugar.

Stir until the palm sugar is dissolved in the liquid.

Mince 500 grams (1.1 pounds) boneless chicken thighs or breasts using a food processor or a sharp knife.

Look up this recipe to learn how to easily mince chicken at home.

Add 1 tablespoon of the stir fry sauce to the minced chicken and mix well.

Allow it to marinate for a few minutes until you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mince or pound 5 Bird's eye (Thai) red chilies and 5 cloves garlic with a knife or mortar and pestle.

Heat ½ tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok. Stir-fry the marinated chicken mince until it turns opaque.

Remove immediately and keep aside.

You will have some pan juices collected at the bottom. Reserve it in a bowl separately.

In the same pan, add ½ tablespoon of peanut oil and scramble 2 eggswith a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once the eggs are set, remove and keep aside. Remove any bits of egg stuck at the bottom of the wok.

Finely dice 1 onion and 1 red bell pepper.

Heat ½ tablespoon of peanut oil in the wok and add the chopped onions.

Stir until they are translucent. Add the chili-garlic paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the chopped bell peppers.

HERE'S THE UNIQUE TWIST OF THE RECIPE: add the reserved pan juices from the cooked chicken.

Let it boil until the veggies absorb the aromatic juices.

When most of the liquid has evaporated, add 5 cups cooked rice and stir on high flame for a few minutes.

Continue stirring the rice on high heat until it starts sticking to the bottom.

(Of course, it won't happen if you're using non-stick cookware. In that case, stir until all the liquid has been absorbed.)

Add the remaining stir-fry sauce and keep stirring on high flame until the rice absorbs the sauce completely.

Add the chicken and eggs back to the wok. Stir briefly and remove from heat.

Garnish with a handful of Thai basil leaves.

Serve the fried rice with cucumber slices and lime wedges.