Thai-ed Up To Spicy Chicken And Basil Fried Rice

Spicy chicken and basil fried rice garnished with cilantro/coriander.

If I were to liken a dish to a genre of music, I would say that fried rice is like an  improvisational jazz composition rather than a classical one.   Much like jazz music,  fried rice is a dish  about Its flavor profile and textures are built  at the cook's discretion, not necessarily built on previously established recipes. It can be as complex or as simple as he wants it to be.  The fried rice is as varied as the people who cook them.  More importantly, just like an improvisational jazz composition, there is no right or wrong in cooking a fried rice dish.
spontaneity and improvisation.  It is a dish that does not adhere to any kind of specific ingredient, with rice being the exception.  It is spontaneous in a sense that the cook uses ingredients that are available at hand, dictated by his mood, circumstances. geographical location and sometimes, his cultural backgroud and economic situation.  

Traditionally, fried rice was made from the previous day's leftover ingredients.  Every culture here in the Far East has developed its own distinctive "national' fried rice, which can be attributed to the legacy of the Chinese diaspora throughout this region.

Because of my undying obssession with Thai food, the one shown here is a fried rice dish with a typical  Thai flavor profile.  It is a hot and spicy dish that is mitigated by the sweetness of the thick black soy sauce, tempered by the cooling effect of the slices of cucumber that is served as a side dish and the tartness of the wedges of  lime to be drizzled over  the rice. The basil leaves and flowers make this a fragrant dish. 

                                

Holy basil that has been freshly picked from my yard.  It has purple stems with small and narrow leaves, which distinguishes if from sweet Thai basil.

Holy basil's  flavor is a mix of pepper and anise.  It does not resemble the taste of sweet basil that's commonly used in Mediterranean dishes.  They can't and shouldn't be used interchangeably.  If holy basil is unavailable, substitute it with rau ram (Vietnamese coriander or laksa leaves).  I think their flavors are much more similar to each other compared to holy basil and sweet Mediterranean basil.  Note that sweet Thai basil is different from sweet Mediterranean basil. 

Spicy chicken and basil fried rice garnished with cilantro/coriander.

I normally don't overeat, but I seem to temporarily lose my sense of control whenever I make this.  Hence, I make this dish about twice a year.  Without any exaggerations, I can eat this everyday.  So, I hope you'll try this easy, flavorful and authentic Thai fried rice dish.   This recipe was taken from Kasma Loha-unchit's page.  I didn't change anything other than omit the broccoli since I didn't have any on hand.  Feel free to omit the chicken if you are a vegetarian/vegan and substitute accordingly.  Tofu would be wonderful here, as it would absorb all those beautiful flavors.  Be sure to use Thai jasmine rice if/when you try this.

Here's to a jazzy dish with jazzy flavors and jazzy colors.