Cooking in
Singapore
Thai · Thailand
Thai Fried Rice
Khao phat (Thai fried rice) uses jasmine rice (not sticky), fish sauce instead of soy sauce, and Thai basil rather than spring onion. The result is fragrant, slightly herbal, and distinctly different from Chinese fried rice. The essential accompaniment: a cucumber wedge, lime wedge, and nam pla prik (fish sauce with sliced bird's eye chillies) on the side. Always topped with a fried egg.
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Cook
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
500 g
jasmine rice
day-old, chilled and broken into grains
Your own market
150 ml
vegetable oil
3
garlic cloves
minced
Your own market
250 g
protein (shrimp
chicken, or pork), cut into small dice
3
large eggs
Your own market
150 g
mixed vegetables (carrots
peas, corn), small dice
Your own market
2
Thai shallots
thinly sliced
Your own market
45 ml
Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
Your own market
30 ml
palm sugar
packed
Origin · Indonesia
15 ml
fresh lime juice
Your own market
3
long red chilies
seeded and minced
Your own market
8
Thai basil leaves
torn
25 g
roasted peanuts
crushed
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Heat 75 ml oil in a wok over high heat until smoking; add garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds until golden and fragrant.
2
Add protein and stir-fry for 2 minutes until nearly cooked; push to the side of the wok.
3
Crack eggs into empty space, scramble for 45 seconds, then break into small curds and toss with protein.
4
Add cold rice, breaking up clumps constantly, and stir-fry for 3 minutes until heated through and grains are separate.
5
Add mixed vegetables, shallots, and remaining 75 ml oil; toss constantly for 2 minutes.
6
Deglaze with fish sauce, sprinkle palm sugar over rice, add lime juice and minced chilies; toss vigorously for 1 minute until sugar dissolves and flavors coat evenly.
From the canon — Fish sauce — nam pla — is the universal salt of the Thai kitchen. Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): Selection and Use →
7
Fold in Thai basil off heat; serve immediately, garnished with crushed peanuts and additional Thai basil.
III
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where Thai fried rice lives or dies is the fish sauce application — drizzle it down the side of the hot wok (not directly on the rice) so it caramelises against the metal before mixing. This caramelisation is the difference between raw fish sauce flavour and the deep, rounded fish sauce flavour of good khao phat.
Pillar IV
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V
What to Pour
The pairing
Beer
From Singapore
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Without alcohol
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VI
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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The working kitchen