Thai Combination Fried Rice

By Martha Rose Shulman

Thai Combination Fried Rice
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(1,458)
Comments
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This dish is loosely based on Thailand’s ubiquitous fried rice dish, kao pad. Usually some kind of animal protein accompanies the rice — squid, crabmeat, ham, chicken, whatever the cook has on hand. My version relies instead on tofu and vegetables; the most important ingredients are the rice itself, the garlic and the fish sauce. Have all of your ingredients prepared and close to the stove. Cooking goes very quickly.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves four to six
  • 4tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 8garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1large carrot, peeled and diced small or cut in julienne
  • 4ounces tofu, patted dry and cut in ½-inch dice
  • 4eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 5cups cooked rice, preferably Thai jasmine rice available in markets that sell Asian foods
  • 2 to 3tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (to taste)
  • 2 to 3teaspoons Thai or Indonesian chile sauce (to taste)
  • 1tomato, chopped
  • 1bunch scallions, both white and green parts, chopped

    • For the Garnish

    • ½cup chopped cilantro
    • Thinly sliced cucumber
    • Lime wedges
    • Scallions
    • Fish sauce with hot chiles nam pla prik or half the amount of soy sauce
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large wok or large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates upon contact. Add the oil and swirl, then add the carrot and tofu. Stir-fry until lightly colored, about two minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Pour in the beaten egg. Stir-fry until scrambled, then add the rice. Cook the rice — scooping it up and pressing it into the pan, then scooping it up again — for about two minutes. Add the fish, chile sauces, tomato and chopped scallions, then stir together for about a half-minute. Serve, garnishing each plate with the cilantro and cucumbers and passing lime wedges, scallions and fish sauce with chiles. Diners should squeeze lime juice onto their rice as they eat.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: Cooked rice will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. The dish is a last-minute stir-fry.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,458 user ratings
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Comments

Mark

This recipe is one of my favorites. However, 8 cloves of garlic is total overkill. I usually go with 2-3 cloves and it's still plenty garlicy without burning your mouth for a week.

Also, I use two carrots instead of one and I pass on the cilantro.

Do not pass on the cucumbers, though -- they are the secret key to this recipe. However, I strongly recommend cutting them in julienne as opposed to slicing.

PSS

The only Thai chili sauce (as opposed to chile paste) I could find at Whole Foods was sweet chili sauce; is that right, or is it a hot chili sauce?

Luc Nguyen

Sweet Chili Sauce is not it. For the chili sauce you can go with Sriracha or Sambal Olek.

Dk

I wish they would divide the steps - there is only one! It would be a lot easier to follow and add ingredients if they separated it out.

Ann

Nice flavor. Spicy hot too.

Jo

This was just delicious. Absolutely loved it. I added a dash of soya sauce at the end to add some color and flavor.

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