Recently I saw one of my Facebook friends posted about her life as “she thought to herself the whole time that cancer is something that would never come to her and her family until 3 weeks ago she received the shocking news that the most wonderful person in her life, her dad was diagnosed with the end stages of lung cancer”.

This post makes me realize how short peoples lives are.

Do you agree with me that most people don’t realize this and still live their lives like nothing will ever happen to them. I used to be one of them. I used to be the one who has no concern about anything and live my life like no tomorrow; up until I had Alivia, my most wonderful beautiful daughter. Since then I have been trying to pay attention to small things, try to slow things down, try to watch what I spend my money on, try to keep my weight in normal range and exercise, try to watch what I eat, and also try to be as healthy as I can. Because you never know when something bad will happen and what it might be.

The healthier food is something that I really want to talk about today. Most times I can’t control what I eat as much as I want to (just like anyone else). I’m one who has an excuse just like everyone else, such as unhealthy food tastes so good and it is what I have been craving for or I don’t like the taste and smell (I know the healthy foods are not always tastiest). Today things are more convenient for most people who have no time to watch over that.

Supplements come to be the most common role in peoples lives. I was the one who never cared or understand why I need to take it until I’m about to turn 30 and I feel like shit when I started to work again. I have to use a computer for 8 hours or more a day and plus when I get home I want to check my email, Facebook, do some work on my website, etc. so I noticed that my only pair of eyes started to bother me a lot. And my back, my neck all are painful and started to have muscle aches from sitting and using the computer for a long period of time. I did realize that hey..I’m almost 30 and am I going to be an old woman who is working without paying attention to my health? At that time one of my cousins “Noom” introduced me into the business he has been doing for the last 2 years and I was like okay though I don’t really care for this type of the business so why do I need to join. At first he talked to me about the business plan and the income that he has been getting for the past 2 years. That made me excited about it at first, but then it never really touched me until he talked about the product that he has been using and how it has helped his health specifically about“sciatica”. Noom had severe back pain and was diagnosed with a herniated disc and sometimes when it occurred he would not able to get out of bed for weeks. He suggested I should try “rice bran oil” for the problem I have with “dry eyes” and “muscle aches”. So first I only got 1 bottle of the rice bran oil and share it with my husband. Believe it or not I started to take 2 pills a day and it has been 3 days that I was using it like this and I found my self had no back pain, no neck pain and the most wonderful part is I don’t have any problem with my dry eyes ever since. My husband did not believe in the benefit of the rice bran oil tried it too. He is one who suffers from allergies and usually will have the stuffy nose and crusted eyes occur to him in the morning, and he feels good after taking it. He feels he has more energy and no more allergy problems in the morning too.

My dad is another severe case of herniated disc because he used to drive for a long period of time and he used to weigh over 250 lbs. Right now he lost all the weight, but one thing that doesn’t seem to go away since he lost weight is the problem of back pain. He still has sciatica and pain in his back. 2 weeks after beginning to take rice bran oil my dad feels wonderfully fine and his back didn’t bother him since then compare to before. With a severe case like his it’s typical to need surgery to finally get rid of the pain. My mom is 52 now and she needs hormone therapy due to menopause, and the medicine she has been receiving didn’t help her at all. She became sick and lost weight and was not able to sleep through the night. Since she took the rice bran oil she doesn’t need the hormone therapy any longer.

There was also a story about curing cancer from people who joined this business who had their cancer go into remission in the last stage of liver cancer. The doctor told him he only had 4 months left of life and he gave rice bran oil a try. He took 9 capsules a day and within a month he started to feel better and he returned to the hospital to do the lab test and the result was there was no evidence of the cancer to be found. At present he still takes the rice bran oil regularly, but has decreased the amount to lower than 9 capsules.

All are the benefits of the rice bran oil I would love to share with you and you also can find more information online. So now it’s up to you whether you want to be one who wants to start to take care of yourself before it’s too late and you have nothing left to take care or not. If you would like to get more details on the product please feel free to contact me, thank you and have a happy and healthy life!!!

Today’s snow, tomorrow’s sunny, the next day’s raining, this minute cold, the next minute hot. I’m so fed up with the weather here. So I decided to make a snack to fix the dullness with the recipe called Ka-nom Jeep Moo (Pork Dumplings), which I haven’t had for a long time. Thinking of Thailand, whenever I crave this dish I would go to Chinatown or Wang Lang, Siriraj; where this neighborhood has the regular vendors who make absolutely delicious dumplings…

Ingredients

• 1 pack thin sheet wonton wrapper
• 500 grams minced pork
• 1 cup yam bean (or jicama), finely chopped and squeeze the water out
• ½ large onion, roughly chopped and squeeze the water out
• 1/3 cup carrots, roughly chopped and squeeze the water out
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp seasoning sauce
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 coriander root, washed
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Jig-Choh (black vinegar sauce), used for the dumpling sauce
• Side dish vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and coriander, etc.

How to do…
1. Peel the garlic. Pound all of them roughly. Divide half of the garlic to fry with vegetable oil in the hot pan. Fry until fragrant and golden brown. Then scoop the oil and the garlic into a bowl and set aside (will be using that as the garnish on the cooked dumplings).

2. Pound the remaining garlic, coriander root and black pepper until fine to combine and mix thoroughly.

3. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix and knead together. (Try to scoop a little bit of the mixed ingredients and put in microwave for about 15-20 minutes until cooked to taste. Adjust the flavor as your preference).

4. Start to wrap the dumplings. Place the wrapper on one of your hand as shown. Scoop ½ Tbsp mixture and put it in the middle of the wrapper. Then slowly bundle the wrapper around the filling by folding the plait all around the same time (use another hand to help by wetting finger with water before folding, this will make the plait easier). Make all until the filling is gone, arrange them on a plate.

5. Set the steamer to boil. Place the dumplings into the steamer when the water boils. Slightly spray the dumplings with water before steaming. (The spraying will help to prevent the wrapper sheets from getting solid). It takes about 7 minutes to steam.

6. Arrange cooked dumplings on a plate, garnish with fried garlic, and serve with Jig-Choh (black vinegar sauce), lettuce, cabbage and coriander.

Note
1. Dumpling filling can be altered to many things and to any kind of protein as you like, such as Ka-nom Jeep Gai (chicken dumplings), Ka-nom Jeep Goong (shrimp dumplings), etc.
2. Left over dumplings can be stored in the refrigerator. After removing from the fridge spray with water before heating.

An easy dish that isn’t easy to make as its name (Moo means a pig but can also use as the expression which refers to “so easy” in Thai as well). This is because we can not get the pork that is used to make Khao Moo Grob (Rice with Crispy Pork) in any typical grocery store in my town, because the pork that is sold in the grocery store is cut and separated into chops, roasts, etc.

Moo Grob (Crispy Pork) uses the part of the pork that includes meat, fat and the skin; the same part that bacon is made from. Fortunately, at a Vietnamese grocery store nearby my home they have exactly what I wanted. So today I’m thinking about making Khao Moo Grob. Another dish with tons of calories, but very tasty which will make you forget about getting fat .

• 1000 gram streaky pork (pork belly) with skin attached
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp vinegar (for painting the pork skin)
• 1 tsp salt (for painting the pork skin)
• 6-8 cups water, or estimate it once you put in the pot; make sure it is enough to cover the pork
• Vegetable oil for frying the pork

Side dishes

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 Boiled egg
• 1 Cucumber
• Green onion and coriander leaves for garnishing

How to do…
1. Clean the streaky pork with water thoroughly. If there are some hairs left please scrape them off.

2. Add water into a pot and place over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of salt. When the water is boiled, put the streaky pork in, boil for about 40-45 minutes. Then scoop it out, leave it to drain, and wait until the pork is cool.

3. Pierce the pork skin with a fork thoroughly. Then flip the pork over so the meat side is up. Use a knife to cut the meat lengthwise about 2 inches width or in half (Do not cut through the pork skin).

5. Put the pork onto a tall cup skin down or any receptacle that you will be able to lean the pork on and allow the oil come out easily. Leave it overnight.

7. Place a pot (or a deep wok) over medium low heat. Add the oil into the pot deep enough to cover the pork when you fry. Wait until the oil gets hot then put the roasted pork in to fry (be careful with the splashing oil). Fry until both sides of the pork golden brown, crispy and inflated beautiful skin. Scoop it out and set aside.

8. Cut the finished fried pork into bite-sized pieces (cutting it right before serving).

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp palm sugar
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
• ¼ tsp Pa-Loh spices powder (Chinese Star anise, Cinnamon, and Cumin mixed)
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp roasted white sesame seeds
• A pinch of grounded black pepper

How to make the gravy
1. Add all the ingredients except corn starch into the pot. Place it over medium low heat. Stir until sauce starts to boil.
2. Reduce the heat when it boils. Dissolve the corn starch with approximately 1-2 tablespoons of water.
3. Gradually add corn starch water, little by little. Keep stirring at the same time to avoid corn starch clumping. Once the gravy is thickened add roasted sesame seeds. Stir a little bit, then remove from the heat and let it cool down. The gravy will thicken up more after removing from the heat. The finished gravy is supposed to be a little sweet in taste and not very red in color.

The sauce ingredients

• 2 Tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
• 3 Red and green Phrik Chi Fa, crosswise sliced
• 1 Tbsp Distilled vinegar

Mix dark sweet soy sauce with vinegar, and then add sliced Phrik Chi Fa into. Stir well.

How to serve Khao Moo Grob
Scoop cooked rice onto a plate. Place halved boiled eggs and sliced cucumber around the plate. Place the crispy pork over the rice. Garnish with chopped coriander and green onion. Pour the gravy over to wet. Serve and have it with the sauce (some places like to serve it with Goon Chiang Todd (fried Chinese sausage) also).

In general, crispy pork can be made into other dishes besides Khao Moo Grob such as Ka-nar Moo Grob (Stir fried Kale with Crispy pork), Pad Phrik (Stir fried sweet pepper) or even put in Som Tom (papaya salad) called Som Tom Moo Grob (papaya salad with crispy pork) ; this is also quite delicious. The left over crispy pork can be refrigerated. Whenever you want to have it then you just need to heat it up or use it to cook in another dish as mentioned. So no need to be afraid of wasting it at all.

Previously, I had already presented you with the Khao Man Gai (chicken with rice) recipe. And then I got a comment asking about how to make Khao Man Gai Tod (Fried Chicken with Rice). Therefore, I went to search for the recipe for you all to try, to make and to eat. Ingredients and how to make Khao Man Gai Tod (Fried Chicken with Rice) are simple as follows.

Ingredients

• 2 pieces chicken breasts (using the boneless ones)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup breadcrumb
• 1 egg
• ½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp seasoning sauce
• ½ Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• A pinch of garlic powder
• A pinch of coriander powder
• A pinch of ground red pepper
• Vegetable oil to fry

How to do…
1. Wash the chicken breasts with water thoroughly. If the chicken is very thick, then cut chicken into pieces lengthwise about 1.5 – 2 cm thick and then put them in a mixing bowl.

2. Add soy sauce, seasoning sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, garlic powder, coriander powder, and red pepper into the mixing bowl. Mix well. Then put the marinated chicken in the fridge for an hour. If you have more time you can let it sit overnight (the mixture will absorb into the meat more).

3. Crack the egg into a bowl, then beat to rise. Before frying, dredge the marinated chicken in the all purpose flour. Lightly pat the excess flour off. Then dip the chicken into the beaten egg. Finally dredge the breasts in the breadcrumbs thoroughly.

4. Place the wok with oil in it over medium heat. Wait until the oil is hot enough to put the chicken down to fry. Fry about 10-14 minutes until chicken is cooked, browned and floating. Then take them out and drain the oil. Wait to serve with rice and the sauce.

The Khao Man Gai Tod sauce (Fried Chicken with Rice Sauce)

Ingredients

• 4 large red Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) or Prik Chee Fah in Thai (will be dividing them into 2 parts: 3 of the chilies will be cut lengthwise along the grain and use the spoon to scrape the seeds out. The remaining one will be used as the whole chili to provide moderate spiciness).
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
• ½ -1 Tbsp water garlic pickled
• ½ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt

How to do…
1. Put the chili, garlic, vinegar, water garlic pickled, and salt into the blender. Then blend until everything is mixed well and fine.
2. Pour the blended ingredients into a pot and place it on the low heat. Simmer to boil. Then add sugar, stir until dissolve and simmer for another 10 minutes to allow water to evaporate. Then will get the sauce that has a stronger taste and is a bit more sticky.
3. Turn off the power. Lift it down and let it cool.

How to serve Fried Chicken with Rice

Chop the fried chicken into bite sized pieces and on top of the rice. (How to make the rice, you can go and visit the Chicken and Rice page from previously). Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with cucumber obliquely sliced, the sauce and soup.

Tod Mun Plah Grai (Fried Fish Cake Thai Style) is another popular recipe for those who like to have fish. In addition to being easy to find to eat and for sale in a busy general community area Tod Mun Plah Grai is also an easy dish to make on your own at home. Or if inconvenient to make it yourself, you can buy it pre-made and then fry it yourself.

How to make Tod Mun Plah Grai so tasty and delicious, here are some tips and steps to do.

Ingredients

• 300 grams (10 ounces) Notopteridae fish meat (you can substitute any mild white fish), crushed or finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp red curry paste
• 1 cup long yard beans, finely chopped
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt, bring to thawed in 1 Tbsp ice cold water
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

How to do…
1. Bring the Notopteridae fish meat, red curry paste, long yard beans, kaffir lime leaves, and egg to mix and knead together until sticky.
2. Season with fish sauce, sugar and salted water and knead until sticky and well mixed.
3. Add the vegetable oil into the wok and place it on medium heat. When the oil is hot then reduce the heat to low. Then put the Tod Mun in to fry, by making it into a thumb sized ball and spread it out into a flat disk about 1 cm thick and 1 ½ -2 inches in diameter. Fry until it cooks and turns golden on both sides. When it is cooked, scoop it up to drain out the oil. Arrange on a plate and serve with the sauce.

The sauce ingredients

• ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 small cucumbers
• ½ -1 tsp pounded fresh Thai chili (depends on whether you like more or less spicy)
• 2 Tbsp grounded roasted peanuts (optional, depends on your preference)
• 2 coriander stalks, coarsely chopped

How to do the sauce…
1. Wash cucumbers with water thoroughly. Then cut in half lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise.
2. Add Thai sweet chili sauce into a mixing bowl. Follow with cucumber, fresh Thai chili, peanuts and coriander. Stir well. Then serve with Tod Mun.

Tip
Immerse the bowl that holds the Tod Mun mixture in crushed ice or refrigerate it over night. And then fry it the next day, so this will allow Tod Mun to inflate, rise, and look delicious.

One of the Thai snacks that is often sold as a pair with Kow Gree-ap Pahk Mau (thin, flat steamed sweetmeat of glutinous rice flour) is Sah-koo Sai Moo (steamed tapioca filled with sweet pork). Sah-koo Sai Moo has a slightly sweet flavor mixed with a little salty. It is popular to have it with coriander, cabbage, and fresh Thai chili (Phrik Khee Nuu) to cleanse the oily taste. In addition it is the kind of food that is easy to eat, it is also simple to make, it does not require as much time and expertise to make as many other types of snacks.

Ingredients

• 500 gram (4 ½ cups) tapioca granules
• 250 gram (8 ½ ounces) minced pork
• 100 gram (3 ounces) salted radish, finely chopped (washed and drained)
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely pounded
• 1 Tbsp coriander root, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp pepper seed
• ½ cup palm sugar
• ½ Tbsp fish sauce
• ½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp seasoning sauce
• ½ -1 tsp black soy sauce
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup hot water
• Fresh vegetables for side dish such as cabbage, coriander, fresh Thai chili (Phrik Khee Nuu), etc.
• Cheesecloth to place on the Chinese utensil steamer before steaming

How to do…
1. Rinse Tapioca granules with water thoroughly. Drain the water out with a strainer. Then add into a mixing bowl. Gradually add hot water into it, stir well, then cover with damp cheesecloth for about an hour. Later, thresh the tapioca until it becomes sticky and homogeneous. Then mold the tapioca into small ball shapes about ½ -1 inch in diameter. Set them aside.

2. Add the oil into the pan. Place the pan over medium heat until hot. Add 3 Tbsp chopped garlic to fry until yellow (careful not to burn), then scoop them out and set aside.

4. Place the pan over medium heat. Add the remaining oil from frying the garlic 2 Tbsp into the pan. Wait until the oil is hot then add the pounded ingredients to fry until fragrant. Add chopped onions and minced pork to it. Stir fry the pork to be dispersed. Follow with chopped salted radish. Then season with palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, seasoning sauce, and black soy sauce. Stir well. Taste to ensure it is salty and sweet. Add the peanuts. Stir fry together until becomes sticky. Turn off the heat. Lift it down and let it cool.

5. Start to wrap by spreading out the tapioca ball into a thin sheet. Put the filling in the middle. Then wrap it up completely with tapioca sheet. Then lay them down on the tray.

7. Place steamed tapioca filled with sweet pork (Sah-koo Sai Moo) onto the plate. Sprinkle with fried garlic. Serve with cabbage, coriander, and fresh Thai chili.

Tips
Whether Sah-koo Sai Moo will be delicious or not depends on “the filling” having a mellow flavor, salty to lead and sweet to follow. And the tapioca must have the right consistency and stick together well, not too gummy so that it sticks on teeth or gums when chewing. In addition to pork, the filling can be changed to something else instead, such as chicken, shrimp, fish or vegetables, etc.

While stir frying the filling please be calm and cool, gradually continue to stir until the filling grips and sticks together well. The salted radish that you use, if it is very salty then it needs to be washed with water before chopping to reduce the saltiness. The peanuts that you use, they need to be roasted to be fragrant before pounding. And you must not pound too fine or too coarse. If pounded too fine, when you eat will not feel like you are eating the peanuts that are mixed in. In addition, the proportion of Sah-koo (tapioca) and the filling should about equal. Not like more tapioca and less filling. Or less tapioca and more filling and make the tapioca pierced.

You should dip your hands into the water every time you spread the tapioca and mold it into the ball to prevent the stickiness of tapioca on your hands. If you prepare by molding the filling beforehand, that will help you to mold Sah-koo Sai Moo faster. Avoid molding it too big. Because when you steam them the cooked Sah-koo Sai Moo will expand more.

Good Sah-koo Sai Moo when it is cooked, the tapioca must clear. If there is any white spots in the starch it shows that the Sah-koo is still raw yet. To steam Sah-koo Sai Moo is need to steam with boiling water in high heat. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to be done (depends on the size of the tapioca (Sah-koo) too).

Previously we’ve gotten to present the different types of Laab, so this time it is time for Laab Neua (northern style). Ingredients and how to do are as follows.

Ingredients

• 300 grams (10 ounces) minced beef or minced buffalo meat
• 150 grams (5 ounces) organs such as liver, gut, etc.
• 1 / 2 cup fresh beef blood
• 4 Tbsp Laab curry
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp Vietnamese Coriander, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp green onion and coriander, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp long coriander (spiny coriander), finely chopped
• Fresh vegetables such as long yard bean, long coriander (spiny coriander), Thai eggplants, Vietnamese Coriander, etc..

Note : Pork meat can also be used in this type of Laab depending on your taste and convenience. Therefore, fresh blood and organs have to be from pork as well. In addition, with northern Laab it is popular to put a little blood along while chopping the meat. This is considered a bit of folk wisdom, it helps to not allow the meat splash out of the chopping block while chopping.

How to do…

1. Cut the organs into the bite sized pieces. Place the pot filled with water over medium heat until it boils. When the water starts to boil, put the prepared organs into the boiling pot, scald until the organs are cooked (see how the organs are done by looking at the color if you do not see the red or pink color from it, it is ok. But do not boil them too long or they will become chewy). Turn off the heat and put them aside.

3. Put the Laab Neua on the plate and serve with fresh vegetables as above.

Note : Laab Kua is how we turn raw Laab into cooked Laab by stir frying it. This is for people who do not like to consume raw meats most of the time. How to do, first place the pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil. Wait until the pan is hot and then put the prepared Laab into the pan and cook until the Laab is done. It only takes about 5-7 minutes. Some people at some place like to sprinkle Laab Kua with fried shallots and that will give a delicious taste in another form too.

Thai people have known holy basil for a long time. Holy basil is a plant that is used as both a food and a medicine, however because holy basil has strong pungent scent and spicy taste Thai people will not like eat it directly like they do other kinds of vegetables. However, it is popular to use as an ingredient for flavor and scent in various Thai recipes.

When most Thai people think about holy basil, they often think of the popular dishes made from it. And the most popular is “Pad Ga-prow (Stir fried holy basil), either with pork, chicken or beef”, which is included in the list of most popular Thai foods. And many people remember and be familiar with the acrid smell of the stir fried holy basil that spreads throughout the restaurant and the surrounding area and that causes sneezing sounds assuredly.

Many people say “Pad Ga-prow” either with pork, chicken or beef could be the national dish of Thailand. And many people probably agree with this idea. Because Pad Ga-prow is a popular dish that Thai people order to eat frequently. It actually can be found to eat pretty much anywhere you live in Thailand. And because the spicy delicious taste of Pad Ga-prow is unique in its own it is considered something of a treat. The simple dish of Pad Ga-prow is one food that is not simple anymore.

From my own experience and also from my friends who live abroad the holy basil is really rare and expensive. So when anyone who lives abroad has that moment of time that they crave for and want to make Pad Ga-prow but can’t find holy basil anywhere they must find something else to put in instead of holy basil. Some people use sweet basil to put in instead of holy basil (even though the taste is not the same at all). Or some of them use the ingredients to make it smell like “the aroma smell from the holy basil” to put in, as we say “better than nothing”. So for those reasons holy basil can be considered as a trifle of Thai people in Thailand, but a big issue for Thai people abroad. And today we have a recipe “Khao Pad Ga-prow – stir fried rice with holy basil” to present.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 200 grams (7 ounces) coarsely chopped pork (can also use chopped chicken or chopped beef to do instead)
• 2-3 pods long yard beans (can add other kinds of vegetables such as carrots and baby corn, etc.)
• 10-15 fresh Phrik Khee Nuu chili, stem off (less or more as needed, depends on your preference)
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp seasoning sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium cucumber (washed, peeled and sliced oblique-wise into pieces ; used as a vegetable side dish)

How to do…

1.Rinse the holy basil and long yard beans with water thoroughly. Pluck the holy basil leaves and set them aside to use. For the long yard beans, cut into short pieces approximately 1 centimeter (if using carrots and baby corn too, chop carrot into dice and chop baby corn into small pieces).

2. Pound the fresh Phrik Khee Nuu (Thai fresh chili) and garlic together until roughly fine. Set aside.

3.Add the oil into the saucepan and place on the medium heat until hot. Add pounded chili and garlic to fry until fragrant. Then add chopped pork. Fry and crush the pork so it won’t stick together. Add a little bit of water. Season with oyster sauce, soy sauce, seasoning sauce, fish sauce and sugar, and stir them up. Then add the long yard beans into it (if putting carrots and baby corn too should add them now). Stir them together. Taste and may season more as you like. (But the flavor should be strong because will add the rice into it a little later), fry for another 2 minutes.

4. Add in the rice. And accelerate the heat to high heat. Then follow by adding holy basil leaves into the pan. Fry and mix well together until dry. Turn off the heat and lift the pan down.

5. Scoop Khao Pad Ga-prow onto the serving dish. Put the sliced cucumber next to it. Ready to eat immediately.

Note
If anyone likes to have their Pad Ga-prow on top of rice then skip the step of putting rice into mix with it, and that will be delicious in another form too. In general, Khao Pad Ga-prow is usually served with fried egg and chili fish sauce. The sauce is made of fish sauce, lime juice, slight bit of soy sauce, and finely chopped fresh Phrik Khee Nuu mixed well together (the mixing ratio depends on your preference). Then you will get the chili fish sauce that will make your Khao Pad Ga-prow even more flavorful and delicious.

The scientific name of lemon grass is Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. It is in the GRAMINEAE family. The other names that Thai people call lemon grass are Cha-khai in northern Thailand and Khrai in southern Thailand. Lemon grass originated in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Thailand, and in South America.

Lemon grass is a short-cycled plant and considered part of the grass family, which grows together in a cluster and is quite easy to grow. The bush is about 4-6 feet tall or may be up to two meters. The actual trunk is approximately 4-7 cm, upright and has a short and relatively solid segment. The trunk of the tree is wrapped around with the leaf husk. Leaf husk is a long sheet and they stack over each other (so it seems hard). The leaves are lank and narrow, the lines on the leaf are parallel to the leaf stalk. The tip of the leaf has prickle hairs. Lemon grass leaves are rich in essential oils giving the trunk a fragrant smell. The lemon grass is a plant that has a flower which is difficult to bloom, similar to bamboo. But when it is time to bloom, the flower will bloom as a long bouquet and a lot of little and tiny flowers. Lemon grass is also a plant in which we can use the bulb part of the trunk for cooking. Lemon grass is also considered a medicinal herb too.

Lemon grass has a spicy and bitter taste. We use the rhizomes and old stems to be one of the recipe ingredients by cutting the stem above the ground about 1-2 inches to use. Thai people use lemon grass as a seasoning and flavoring in a variety of Thai foods. And they also use it as an important component of spices and curries such as Gang Ped (hot curry) curry paste and Gang Som (sour soup made of tamarind paste). It is also used as a key component of Nam Ya (chili sauce made of fish), Khao Yam Puk Tai (rice salad from the south of Thailand), Nam Phrik Ong (tomatoes chili sauce), Gang Tai Bplah (fish kidney curry), Nam Phrik Ta-Khrai (lemon grass chilli), etc.

The holy basil scientific name is Ocimum sanctum linn. and it is a plant in the Labiatae family. The important plants in this family include sweet basil, lemon basil, etc. Other names that Thai people call holy basil such as in central Thailand are red holy basil (Ga-prow Dang), white holy basil (Ga-prow Kow); northern and Chiang Mai province call it Gum Gau Kow, Gum Gau Dam, Gom Gau Kow, Gom Gau Dam; for Karen (a hill-tribe in northern Thailand) and Mae Hong Son province they call holy basil Hau Too Bploo, Hau Gwau Soo.

Holy basil is a short-lived shrub, and grows to a height of about 30-60, although some can grow up to a meter. The base of a tree is quite strong, and has hair along the trunk. Leaves are single leaf and attach to the stem in pairs with one on each side opposite from each other and perpendicular to the stem. Leaves are oval shaped and 1-3 cm wide and 2.5-5 cm long. The leaf tip can be pointed or rounded, the base is sharp, and the edges look like sawtooth and waves. Leaves have hairs. Flowers are like a tiered umbrella bouquet, with the blossom at the top and the end of branches, and 8-10 cm long. The flowers are small sized and bell shaped. Flower petals are both white with purple stripes and solid white color. Petal base is connected as a cone. The end is separated to 2 parts. The top part is separated to 4 tapering petals. The bottom part has only one round petal. The inner surface of the petal is smooth. The outer petal is coated with hair especially on the base of the petal. Sepal is red or brown mingled with purple and green. It is hard and the base is connected as a cone. The end is separated into a pointed segment as a thorn. Small stalk of the flower is green and about 0.20-0.30 cm long. The fruit, when it dries will burst open. It has small oval brown seeds.

Holy basil leaf has a yellow essential oil in it, it also has a fragrance and acrid odor like the smell of clove oil. The seed has a greenish yellow volatile oil. The quality of the essential oil depends on various factors such as age, geography and climate.

Holy basil is a plant that has been grown in Southeast Asia for a long time, especially in Thailand and Malaysia. There are three kinds of holy basil ; red holy basil (Ga-prow Dang), white holy basil (Ga-prow Kao) and the hybrid between the red and the white one. But the kinds that are popular to grow generally are white and red holy basil only, which called by the color of the petiole and the stem.

Holy basil is considered a spice plants and also a vegetable, and the fresh and young leaves are used for cooking. It’s also a plant that is used for flavoring the food, for fragrance, and to deodorize the fishy smell of meat, such as when it is put into Gang Pah (one of Thai spicy soup dish), Gang Ped (hot curry), and all types of Pad Ped (stir fried spicy curry). Typically it is used by putting the fresh holy basil leaves into the food after the food is cooked but before lifting it off from the heat. And for using holy basil as a flavoring vegetable, such as when it is used to cook Pad Ga-prow (stir fried holy basil), or added to Hoy Neung (steamed shellfish), etc. In addition to many nutritional values, to consume holy basil also helps the body to get so many benefits. Use it to prepare and use as a herb medicine, and it is said to help promote good blood circulation.