Your favorite Thai stir-fry, with a local twist. Sigarilyas swaps in for green beans and earns its place.
Pad kra pao has been on every Thai restaurant menu in Manila long enough that it barely needs an introduction. Throwing in sigarilyas makes for a warmer welcome
Combine ground meat, garlic, fish sauce, and a pile of holy basil thrown in at the end. Here, sigarilyas (winged beans) swap in for the usual green beans. It holds up well to high heat, stays a little crisp, and its earthy, slightly nutty flavor actually works really well with the savory, punchy sauce. Serve over steamed rice with a fried egg on top with the brown crispy bits on the side is the way to do it.
Prepare sigarilyas: Trim the tips of the sigarilyas and slice into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Brown pork: Heat oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and most of the moisture has evaporated.
Sauté garlic: Push the pork to one side and add the garlic. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant and starting to turn golden.
Cook sigarilyas: Add sigarilyas and basil and toss everything together. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sigarilyas turn bright green and just tender but still with a bite. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water to loosen.
Fry egg: In a separate pan, fry the eggs to your liking. Set aside.
Season and serve: Pour in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Toss until the pork and sigarilyas are evenly coated. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or sugar as needed. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
