Lê Thị Ngọc Hân has many years of experience as a self-taught cook and usually shares her recipes online. She is the owner of "Lẩu Cá Đuối 34" (Stingray Hotpot 34) restaurant in Thủ Đức City, which specialises in seafood dishes. Her recipes online are well-received by those who are also into cooking.

Stir fried squid arms with holy basil is a simple yet delicious dish. It is equally good regardless of how one eats it, either as a main dish with hot rice or as a side with some beer. The dish can be done quickly in less than 30 minutes with easy-to-find ingredients. 

Ingredients:

500g squid heads

2 cloves of garlic

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

4 scallions

A handful of Thai basil

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp Kicap dark soy sauce

Fish sauce

Sugar

Preparation:

- Clean the squid head thoroughly to remove any fishy smell, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

- Remove the Thai basil leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly.

- Mince the garlic, cut each scallion around two inches in length, and cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces

- Heat the oil in a pan, stir-fry the squid until just done, then turn off the head and let the squid rest in a bowl to remove the juice.

- Add sesame oil in a pan, add in the bell peppers and stir-fry until soft but not mushy.

- Add the squid (do not add in the water), then season with kicap, fish sauce, and sugar to taste.

- Toss in the Thai basil and scallions, then mix thoroughly until the leaves are wilted.

Serving

- The dish should be eaten hot with rice or as a side dish with alcoholic beverages.

- Pairing the dish with instant noodles is also a great option (blanch instant noodles into boiling water until soft, then drain the noodles and mix them thoroughly with the stir fried squid). VNS