Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run
Gather everything first, then follow the steps
Protein· 1
- 130 g minced chicken (lean)130g
Vegetables· 4
- 10 g red chili (chopped, to taste)10g
- 10 g garlic (minced)10g
- 40 g long beans (cut into short lengths)40g
- 12 g spring onion (cut into lengths)12g
Sauces· 2
- 8 g light soy sauce (~1½ tsp)8g
- 6 g oyster sauce (~1 tsp)6g
Spices· 2
- 1 g sugar (a small pinch)(staple)1g
- pinch of salt(staple)1g
Fats & oils· 1
- 5 g cooking oil (1 tsp)5g
First stir the light soy, oyster sauce, sugar and 2 tbsp water into a sauce; mince the garlic and chili, and cut the long beans into 2 cm lengths.
Why? Pad krapow is a fast, seconds-long high-heat stir-fry, so the sauce and aromatics must be ready in advance; premixing the sauce keeps salt, sugar and oil locked at the minimum.Tip: Line everything up beside the pan — once you start, there's no time to chop.
Next up:Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan over high heat until lightly smoking, then sizzle the garlic and chili for 15 sec until fragrant.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan over high heat until lightly smoking, then sizzle the garlic and chili for 15 sec until fragrant.
Why? A properly hot pan produces wok aroma with just 1 tsp oil — the original often uses three or four spoons; this step builds flavour with high heat instead of extra oil.Watch out: Garlic and chili scorch easily — add the meat the instant they smell fragrant; don't dry-fry them past 20 sec.Next up:Add the minced chicken, press it apart and stir-fry over high heat 3 min until lightly browned, then add the long beans and fry 1 min more.
- 4 min · hands-free
Add the minced chicken, press it apart and stir-fry over high heat 3 min until lightly browned, then add the long beans and fry 1 min more.
Why? Lean mince needs high, fast heat to brown rather than stew; the long beans add bulk and fibre so a 130 g portion of meat fills the plate and keeps you fuller.Tip: Don't stir constantly — let the meat sit against the pan 20 sec before turning, so it browns.
04:00Next up:Pour the sauce around the rim of the pan, toss quickly for 1 min until it reduces, kill the heat, fold in the spring onion and serve over half a bowl of rice.
Pour the sauce around the rim of the pan, toss quickly for 1 min until it reduces, kill the heat, fold in the spring onion and serve over half a bowl of rice.
Why? Adding the sauce down the hot rim lets it caramelise on contact and reduce in seconds to glaze the meat — plenty flavourful over rice without a fried egg or extra fat.Tip: If you want egg, poach or soft-boil it instead of frying — that saves a spoon of oil.