Khao phat goong / Thai-style fried rice with shrimp


Thai-style fried rice , what's not to love ? This simple hawker-style dish is easy to make with wonderful umami flavour .

I borrowed Andy Ricker's Pok Pok cookbook 2 months ago , thinking that I can cook at least 3 dishes from it . The roasted chicken , fish sauce wings , khao soi gai , Thai sausage ...... Procuring all ingredients are actually easy as there are several Thai stores all over Hongkong  . 

Easier said than done . 


But I gravitated to this simple yet very tasty dish . So far , I made this once a week since I borrowed that book from the library . You'll be glad to know that the recipe is for 1 person only , yup , I wasn't being mean when I ate it all by my lonesome lol 

According to Ricker , just about any protein can replace the pork , like ground meat , sliced chicken ,  beef , squid and shrimp .

The first time I tried this recipe , I compared my finished dish to the photo on the book and thought , mine was darker . The subsequent fried rice were almost the same color as the first so I got no problem with it . Maybe the fish sauce  and soy sauce that I used and raw sugar instead of white that made it so . That said , the color doesn't matter as this umami-rich dish was soooo good !

For a fried rice , the instructions below are a bit anal lol and you don't have to follow it , I didn't . Though it didn't have the wok hei taste because I used a nonstick pan instead of a wok , I'm pretty sure the result was just as wonderful as the one they serve at Pok Pok or maybe in Thailand , okay , that's just speculation ha ! 

This fried rice is served with fish-soaked chillies but I didn't want a salty condiment so I made my to-go side dish ,  a quick Asian-style cucumber salad which is perfect side to this dish . It looks more like a cucumber pickle but with lime juice instead of vinegar . I found the recipe or more like a list online a long time ago , had forgotten the source and no measurement of the ingredients .


Recipe adapted from Pok Pok

1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon Thai thin soy sauce I used Chinese soy sauce 
1 teaspoon granulated sugar I used raw sugar 
pinch of ground white pepper
2 tablespoon oil
1 large egg , at room temp
1 oz / 28 grams / about 1/4 cup , peeled small shallots , preferably Asian , halved lengthwise and thinly sliced with the grain
11 grams / about 1 tablespoon ,  peeled garlic , halved lengthwise and lightly crushed into small pieces in a mortar
4 oz boneless pork shoulder , sliced against the grain into approximately 1/8-inch thick bite-size pieces 120 grams peeled shrimps 
2 cups cooked Jasmine rice / Khao Hom Mali , preferably day-old
2 tablespoon thinly-sliced green onions , lightly packed plus extra for garnishing
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro ( thin stems and leaves ) , lightly-packed

8 or so 1/4-inch thick slices firm cucumber , peeled if thick-skinned
1 lime

* In a small bowl , combine fish sauce , soy sauce , sugar and pepper , mix well .

* Heat wok over very high heat , add oil and swirl to coat the sides . When it begins to smoke , crack in the egg ( it should spit and sizzle violently and the whites should bubble and puff ) and cook without messing with it until all but the center of the whites have set , about 15 seconds . Flip the egg ( it's fine if the yolk breaks ) and push it to one side of the wok . Add shallots and garlic and cook , stirring ( but not the egg ) often until lightly-browned , about 1 minute .

* Add the pork , stir everything together well and stir-fry , constantly stirring , scooping and flipping the ingredients until the pork in no longer pink on the outside , about 30 seconds .

* Add rice and stir-fry , breaking  up the egg a bit , for 30 seconds . Add the fish sauce mixture , add splash of water , if necessary to make sure nothing's left behind in the bowl ) , continue to stir-fry until pork is just cooked through and the flavours blended well , 1 minute or so .

* Turn off heat , stir in 2 tablespoons of green onions and transfer rice to a plate . Top with the cilantro and the remaining green onions and serve with cucumber and lime .  Consume immediately .

Asian-style cucumber pickles : 

cucumber
palm sugar , if it is solid , shave it with a knife or use mortar
fish sauce
lime or calamansi juice
bird's eye chilli , sliced thinly
cilantro , coarsely chopped

* Rinse and slice cucumber , about 1/2 cm thick and 1-inch length . Place in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt and let stand for about 15 minutes . Drain and rinse . Transfer in a shallow bowl , then add in palm sugar , fish sauce and lime juice , stir well to combine then toss in the chilli and cilantro , give it a good stir then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes .


Comments

  1. So flavorful and delicious, Anne! And I love the sound of your pickled cukes, too! Excellent pairing:)

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  2. Hi Anne, fried rice of any kind are my favorite. One of the best one pot meal when we don't know what to cook. Yours look so inviting and delicious to the bit with so many big prawns and extra fried egg. I definitely need 2 plates. LOL

    Have a nice weekend, regards.
    Amelia

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  3. Everything looks mounthwatering!

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  4. I'm sure it was as good or better than any of those other sources, Anne:) It sure does look inviting. I actually appreciate the "anal" instructions and list of ingredients. It helps me learn the different flavor combinations.

    Thank you so much for sharing, Anne...I'm so happy to know YOU ate it all up all by yourself!!!

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  5. Hi Anne,
    Fried rice is a favourite in my house! The kind of meal that is just perfect no matter which meal of the day it is! And I love fried rice with slices of cucumbers, pickled even better! Your fried rice looks very yummy!

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