Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: Under 30 minutes

1. Cook the rice in the usual way;
2. heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the chili;
3. add the chicken, fish sauce and basil;
4. when the chicken is heated through, add the rice over high heat and stir until well-combined;
5. serve hot, placing small dishes of nuoc mam on the table so that guests can season their rice to taste.

Quick version using raw chicken

Increase the amount of oil to 125 ml (1/2 cup); add the diced or sliced chicken at step 3, as above; cover and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the basil and sauce.