Holy basil chicken with rice and fried egg (Phat kaphrao kai khai dao)

1. Rinse the jasmine rice and cook it covered in 1.3 times its volume of water for 12 minutes, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.

2. Coarsely chop the chicken breast with a knife (or use minced chicken); pound the garlic and chillies to a coarse paste in a mortar.

3. Heat plenty of oil in a small frying pan and fry the eggs one at a time, spooning hot oil over the top, until the edges are crisp but the yolks still runny.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, fry the garlic and chilli paste for 30 seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.

5. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water, toss, then turn off the heat and stir in the basil leaves so they just wilt.

6. Mound the rice on plates, spoon the chicken alongside, top with a fried egg and serve with chillies in fish sauce (prik nam pla).

Tip: Thailand's most popular quick meal, available at almost every street kitchen. The original uses holy basil (kaphrao); if you can't find it, Thai basil works too, it just gives a sweeter, aniseedy flavour.