matt harris*

recipe box · Pasta & Rice

Thai Fried Rice

Serves 2 ·

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups of cooked Basmati rice, spread on a plate for 15 min to cool (day-old rice works well too)
  • 1 thinly chopped chicken breast (can be leftover/pre-cooked)
  • ½ of a sweet onion (sliced finely from stem to top)
  • A handful or two of spinach in ½-in slices (I normally use kale)
  • Thinly sliced zucchini, asparagus, or other veggie
  • 3–4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic (roughly minced)
  • 1–2 eggs
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp oyster sauce (optional, but adds good flavor)
  • Fish sauce (this is important as it gives it a bit of needed acidity at the end; lime juice will suffice in a pinch)
  • Pinch of sugar

The rice

I like Basmati for fried rice, but Jasmine is also popular. Use 2 parts water, 1 part rice.

  1. Bring the water to a boil with at least a tsp of salt per cup of water.
  2. Put in the rice, bring back to a boil, give it a good stir, cover and set a timer for 10 minutes. Don’t touch it or look inside.
  3. After 10 minutes, move the rice to a cool eye and set the timer for 10 more minutes. Don’t open the top. This allows the steam to finish it off.
  4. As soon as the second timer is done, stir, then spread it out on a plate or two so it doesn’t steam any further and sprinkle with a bit of salt. It should sit at least 15 minutes before using it in fried rice.

Steps

  1. Prep all ingredients and make sure the rice has cooked and cooled. This recipe goes quickly.
  2. Peel 2 cloves of garlic, and then just finely mince them.
  3. Slice ¼ of a sweet white onion into medium sized strips — root to tip.
  4. Cut off ½ the white part, then finely slice about 3–4 green onions.
  5. Slice some spinach leaves, kale leaves, or bok choy in ½-in sized strips. You can finely slice the kale stems and toss in with the garlic as well, for added flavor.
  6. Add a bit of salt to the cooled rice.
  7. Turn on your stove to medium high, heat up your wok (or pan), and add about 1 tablespoon of oil. It’s very important to have a very hot pan. Be sure to use a large skillet, especially if you are cooking for more than two.
  8. Once your oil is hot, add the garlic first, and stir fry continuously for about 15 seconds or so, until it gets nice and fragrant, but no longer or it will burn.
  9. Next, toss in your chicken, and fry for about 30 seconds (if pre-cooked). Or a minute or two if raw.
  10. About half way through the chicken, add veggie and cook for another minute or so. Salt and pepper a bit at this point.
  11. Break up the rice so it doesn’t clump and add in a little less than ½ of your rice to the pan. This is going to soak up all those delicious juices and oils and keep your rice nice and dry. Stir fry for about 10 more seconds — this also helps the rice remain nice and dry.
  12. Scoot all your rice to one side of the pan, and then crack in an egg or two into the empty side.
  13. Let it sit until it has a bit of structure, then stir it up and start to mix it with the rest of the dish.
  14. Keep stir frying for about 20 seconds until the egg is mostly cooked, and then add in the rest of your rice, and give it a quick stir.
  15. Add ½ tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ tablespoon of oyster sauce, just a pinch of sugar (optional), and continue stir frying your rice, making sure all the sauce gets mixed in.
  16. Add in your thinly sliced onions and stir fry for a minute or so until slightly softened.
  17. Add your chopped spinach/kale/bok choy, and stir fry for another 30 seconds until the vegetables wilt, but they can still be crisp and not fully cooked.
  18. Lastly, toss in your green onions, stir it a few more seconds, and it’s ready.
  19. Add in a few splashes of fish sauce and some chili pepper flavored olive oil (or traditionally, Prik Nam Pla).
  20. Immediately dish your fried rice onto a plate.
  21. Slice off a wedge of lime, and serve it on the plate next to the rice.
  22. For the final touch, I like to sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top to give extra flavor.

Prik Nam Pla (chilies in fish sauce)

  1. Add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce to a small bowl.
  2. Slice about 5 Thai chilies (you can add more or less, up to you), and add them to the fish sauce. A thinly sliced serrano works as well. I typically roll it hard on the cutting board with the palm of my hand, chop off the head, pull a bit of core with a knife, and then shake vigorously over a trash can to get out most of the seeds.
  3. I like it with a little squeeze of about ½ of a lime — but this is optional, and at many Thai restaurants it’s only fish sauce and chilies.
  4. Give it a stir, and set it aside.

Source: eatingthaifood.com · youtu.be · seriouseats.com