MasterChef winner Nat Thaipun shares her recipes for classic Thai fried rice and a flexible, flavourful rice salad you can easily customise.
Nat Thaipun
In Thailand, rice is eaten with almost every meal. Whether it’s a simple bowl of jasmine rice served with a flavourful curry or sticky rice enjoyed alongside grilled meats and spicy som tum (green papaya salad), rice is the heart of our cuisine.
It offers balance, soaking up the intense flavours of the dishes it accompanies. In many ways, it provides a neutral backdrop that allows the rich, complex tastes of Thai food to shine.
Fried rice or khao pad is the ultimate Thai comfort food, commonly eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Simple but packed with flavour, Thai fried rice is usually tossed with garlic, fish sauce and a squeeze of lime and topped with fresh cucumber slices. It’s quick and comforting and somehow always hits the spot.
It’s perfect for using up leftover ingredients, and its beauty lies in its simplicity and adaptability – you can mix and match flavours based on what you have on hand, making it one of the most practical dishes in Thai cuisine.
The basics of Thai fried rice
At its core, Thai fried rice is made by stir-frying cooked rice with garlic, eggs, fish sauce and soy sauce, often incorporating proteins such as prawns, chicken or pork. Jasmine rice, with its fragrant aroma and slightly sticky texture, is the ideal choice. The rice is usually stir-fried over high heat to create a slight char, adding extra flavour.
It is typically served with some simple sides and condiments such as the following.
- Cucumber slices: For a fresh, cooling contrast.
- Lime or lemon wedges: A squeeze of citrus over the rice enhances the flavours.
- Nam pla prik (fish sauce and chilli dipping sauce): A small dish of fish sauce with chopped chillies is always on the side, offering a salty, spicy kick.
- Fried egg: A crispy-edged fried egg on top is a common addition in Thailand, adding richness to the dish.
- Chilli vinegar: For those who like a sour and spicy punch, chilli vinegar is a popular addition.
Fried rice is eaten as a complete meal, using a spoon to scoop up the rice.
Khao pad (classic Thai fried rice)
Add the harder vegetables (such as carrots, baby corn, green beans) just after your meat and stir-fry until slightly tender before adding the rice. Add softer vegetables (such as Asian greens or capsicum) just before the rice or even right at the end, depending on the texture you want.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 eggs
- 200g raw prawns, peeled and deveined (or sliced chicken or pork)
- 50-60g green beans or sugar snap peas or even broccoli florets, trimmed and chopped into 2-3cm pieces
- 25g (¼ cup) carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
- 15g (¼ cup) onion or spring onion whites, sliced
- 40g (¼ cup) red capsicum, thinly sliced
- small handful of Asian greens (such as choy sum or bok choy), roughly chopped (optional)
- 600-660g (2½ cups) cold cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp ground black pepper
To serve
- coriander leaves
- cucumber slices
- lime wedges
- nam pla prik (fish sauce and chilli dipping sauce, see recipe)
METHOD
- Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat and stir-fry the garlic briefly until fragrant. Crack the eggs into the wok, scrambling them quickly. Add the prawns and seasonal vegetables and stir-fry until cooked through.
- Add the rice and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps with the flat side of a wok spatula. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce, dark soy and pepper and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, pushing the rice against the wok to get a bit of a char and good wok hei flavour.
- Garnish with coriander and serve with cucumber slices, lime wedges and nam pla prik on the side.
Serves 2
Nam pla prik (fish sauce and chilli dipping sauce)
This super simple but essential Thai condiment is used to add a salty, spicy and tangy flavour to a variety of Thai dishes such as fried rice, pad grapow (basil stir-fry) or a simple fried egg.
INGREDIENTS
- 3-4 bird’s eye chillies (or to taste), finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to taste)
METHOD
- In a small bowl, combine the chillies, fish sauce and garlic (if using). Stir in the lime juice and sugar (if using), mixing until the sugar dissolves. Add up to 2 tablespoons of water to dilute the sauce slightly depending on the intensity of flavour you prefer.
- Taste and adjust as needed – add more lime juice for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness or sugar for sweetness.
- Serve in small dipping bowls alongside your main dishes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Makes 60ml (¼ cup)
Khao yum (Southern Thai rice salad)
Khao yum is all about combining the ingredients and dressing to create a flavourful and balanced salad. Feel free to swap ingredients based on what’s available. You can replace green mango with oranges or add seasonal vegetables such as radish, and instead of dried shrimp, try grilled fish or tofu.
INGREDIENTS
- 740g (4 cups) cooled cooked jasmine rice
Toppings
- 60g (1 cup) shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 small green mango (or green apple), julienned
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- ½ pineapple, diced small
- 45g (½ cup) bean sprouts
- 3 green beans, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
- 2-3 makrut lime leaves, finely sliced
- 25g (½ cup) chopped coriander leaves and stems
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bottom half), finely shredded
- 2 soft-boiled eggs (optional)
- 1 packet lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced into 5mm rounds and lightly stir-fried (optional)
- 1 tbsp roasted peanuts (optional)
- chopped bird’s eye chillies to garnish
Moo warn (sweet garlic pork; optional)
- 300g pork belly or shoulder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
METHOD
- On four individual plates, put 1 cup of cooked rice in the centre. Arrange the toasted coconut, green mango, cucumber, pineapple, bean sprouts, green beans, dried shrimp (if using), makrut lime leaves, coriander and lemongrass around the rice. Add the boiled eggs, halved, and the stir-fried lap cheong (if using) to the side, along with the other toppings.
- To make the moo warn (sweet garlic pork), slice the pork into thin strips about 5mm thick. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until it begins to brown. Add the palm sugar, stirring to coat the pork evenly, and let the sugar melt and caramelise. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and 60ml (¼ cup) water and stir to combine, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the pork is glazed and tender. Set aside and, once it has cooled a little, put it around the rice next to your other topping ingredients.
- To make the dressing, whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, tamarind paste and garlic together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust as needed, balancing the salty, sour and sweet flavours. Drizzle the dressing over the rice salad and toss everything together gently to ensure the flavours are well distributed.
- Garnish with the chillies for extra heat and serve immediately as a light meal or side dish.
Serves 4
This is an edited extract from Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun (Hardie Grant Books, $50). Photography: © David Loftus. Available in stores nationally.
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