Khao Pad (Thai Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Cooked jasmine rice Day old, stored in the fridge is best
- 1½ Cup Assorted vegetables E.g. Chopped cabbage, kai lan, carrots, peas or corn. Same, small size will allow them to cook fast and evenly. For a quick meal you can use frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
- 3 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped
- 1 Shallot
- 1 Tomato Chopped, or a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 3 tbsp Fish Sauce Or to taste. Different brands may have different strength / flavour profile
- 1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
- Pinch of Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs Cracked into a bowl and whisked for a good minute with some fish sauce and white pepper if you'd like.
- Salt & White Pepper to taste
- Squeeze of Lime
To serve
- 1 Scallion Sliced
- Thai Bird Chili Or Chili Padi
- Fish Sauce
- Lime Wedges
Instructions
- Prepare garlic, shallot, vegetables and eggs so they are all ready as everything cooks quickly. Set aside.
- Heat oil on high in a wok. A non-stick frying pan will work fine as well. Add shallots and garlic. Cook for 30 - 45 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes and allow to caramelise slightly.
- Add the cooked rice, and mix through. Spread out over the base of the wok or pan. Season with fish sauce, light soya sauce and a pinch of brown sugar. Mix well and fry a while longer.
- Add your desired mix of vegetables and fry until they are cooked through.
- Move rice around the sides of your wok or pan to make a space in the middle for the egg. Turn down the heat to low - medium and add the eggs. Allow to set slightly (20 - 30 seconds) before slowly scrambling into egg ribbons. Once it is almost set, mix everything back together.
- Season with salt, white pepper, a squeeze of lime and mix well. Adjust any of the other seasoning to taste and serve hot with a wedge of lime, scallions and a side sauce of sliced chili with fish sauce.
Notes
Although I love this plain, sometimes I do like to throw in some shrimp.
If adding shrimp, I would devein them and set aside with the other ingredients. After the garlic and shallots are fragrant, I add them to pan fry until nicely browned on both sides. This takes about a minute on each side if small. After this, I remove them from the pan and set aside until the end where I add them back in while adjusting the seasoning.