Bangkok-Style Stir Fried Beef With Basil and Chiles from Bangkok Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

This is called Gaprao neu-uh in Thailand, but we came across it first at the Bangkok Restaurant on Victoria Island in Lagos.

• Vegetable oil for the wok
• 1 lb beef steaks, fat trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 red or yellow peppers, deseeded, sliced lengthways into think strips
• Red chiles: if Thai bird's eye chili are available, use about 1/2 cup; if not use jalapeno or serrano Mexican chile, deseeded, finely chopped; if those are not available, use any hot chile pepper, depending on local sources.
• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-in pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup Thai basil
• Options: 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 cup bamboo shoots

Thai bird's eye chile peppers (Capsicum annuum).

1. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and the chile and cook until aromatic.
2. If you do not want to sneeze too much from the chiles, add the beef right away. Stir-fry the beef for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce and mix well. Add the onions, bell pepper and beans and continue to stir fry. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and the basil. Turn off heat and mix well.
4. Serve with steamed basmati rice
5. YIELD: Serves 4