Thai Fried Rice

How to make Thai Fried Rice.

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

For the Sauce:

• 3 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoon fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar

For the Stir Fry:

• 3 Thai bird’s eye chillies
• 4 peeled whole garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup thinly sliced onion
• 12 shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
• 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup packed Thai basil (roughly torn)

Instructions:

1. Start by gathering all the ingredients.
2. Making this fried rice hardly takes any time, but needs to be quick while stir-frying it.
3. To make the process quick and smooth, make sure all the ingredients required are prepared and kept next to the cooking counter.
4. Make sure the rice is already cooked and cooled well.
5. It is important to use cooled rice to keep the grains separate.
6. If the rice is freshly cooked, the fried rice will turn out mushy.
7. Prepare the shrimp.
8. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them to room temperature.
9. Wash them and pat them dry using a kitchen towel.
10. If using fresh shrimp, remove the head and tail.
11. Remove the vein using a sharp paring knife.
12. Wash the shrimp well and pat dry.
13. If making a vegetarian version, chop the vegetables and keep them ready.
14. Mix the ingredients for the sauce that are 3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp fish sauce and ½ tsp brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and keep aside.
15. For the vegetarian version, skip adding fish sauce and oyster sauce.
16. You can replace soy sauce with tamari for a gluten-free version.
17. Add 2-3 bird’s eye chillies, 3-4 peeled cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp salt in a mortar and pestle and pound to make a coarse paste.
18. Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or a large pan on high heat.
19. Once the oil is very hot, add the crushed garlic and red chillies and saute for 8-10 seconds.
20. Add ½ cup thinly sliced onion and fry for 4-5 seconds.
21. Add 10-12 shrimp and cook until they turn pink in color, for about 2-3 minutes.
22. Now add the sauce mixture and 3 cups of cooked rice and mix everything well.
23. Add salt and pepper to taste, ¼ cup chopped green onion and 1 cup packed Thai basil (roughly torn), and mix well.
24. Serve hot with sliced tomato, cucumber and lime wedges.