Thai-Style Asparagus With Chiles, Garlic, & Basil

GinnyP's Note:

In a word....YUM!

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil or 1 tablespoon canola oil or 1 tablespoon saffola oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon serrano peppers or 1 tablespoon jalapeno chile , minced
• 1 ½ lbs asparagus , snapped, steamed, but slightly undercooked
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (I use gluten-free) or 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (I omit it) (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup basil , chopped
• 2 large chilies , of your chiles, slice diagonal into thin ovals

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over high heat.
2. Add oil, making sure bottom of pan is completely oiled.
3. Add garlic and minced chile, toss until garlic begins to turn golden; about 15 seconds.
4. Add the asparagus; stir-fry until coated with oil, about 15 seconds.
5. Add the soy sauces, sugar, basil, and 1 T water; stir-fry until basil starts to wilt.
6. Serve hot.
7. Garnish with sliced chiles.
8. For Vegetarian do not use the fish sauce, use the soy sauce.

Reviews

[Sue Lau]

Perfect! This may well be the best tasting asparagus I ever ate! It had a fantastic flavor, truly Thai, with the right amount of heat and pungency. The basil, as could be expected, was great. I steamed my asparagus for 10 minutes before stir-frying and everything came out wonderful. I chose to use sambal oelek in lieu of the minced serranos (although I did garnish with Thai dragon chilies). Thanks so much! I will make this often!

[Dorie's Lori]

Who knew basil would be so delicious with asparagus! This dish was even better than restaurant dishes. I followed the recipe closely, using fish sauce and the dark soy. Guests did find the dish salty, but mostly loved it anyway. As written, this recipe will give sharp bursts of very hot heat. The next time I make it, for personal preference, I will mince all the peppers up instead of using them as a garnish. Here is a tip - if you want more control over the heat, you can remove some of the inside ribs, core and seeds from the peppers, chop them up, and simply add more until it is hot enough, as that is where most of the heat resides. Another tip - if you have access to an Asian market, they will sell Asian basils for much less than the supermarket prices. Thanks, GinnyP, for a top notch (and easy:-) ) veggie side dish! Hmmm... it was soooo tasty maybe I'll add chicken, pieces or minced, and turn it into a main dish. YUM YUM!

[Ameliahead]

Wow this is so good! I added just a tiny bit of rice vinegar and some thin strips of smoked tofu (to make it a main dish). Yum, I will make this again.