Pad Gai Grapao (Basil Chicken)

1 lb ground or minced raw chicken
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 shallots, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp peanut oil
2 tsp black soy sauce
1 cup fresh holy basil (can substitute other type of basil)
6-12 Thai chilies (I used peppers I could find like jalapeño and cacho de cabra)
1-2 tbsp Fish Sauce, to taste
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp palm sugar

1. In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, shallots, and chilies together.
2. Heat the peanut oil in a wok and swirl it to coat the surface.
3. Briefly (ten seconds) stir-fry this chili-garlic-shallot paste to bring out the flavor and aroma.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry for a minute or two, until most of the chicken has started to change color and is no longer pink. 5. Continually stir the ingredients.
6. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for 15-20 seconds.
7. Add fresh basil leaves, palm sugar, oyster sauce, and fish sauce to taste. Stir-fry and mix well.
8. Stir-fry another half a minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the dish hot over jasmine rice and a fried egg on top.

Note: The smaller the chicken is cut, the greater the surface area to coat with the flavors of the herbs and sauces, and the more flavorful the stir-fry will be.

Sources:
Kasma Loha-unchit
simply-thai.com
ThaiTable.com (illustrated)