Equipment
Ingredients
Main Components
- 400 g jasmine rice, cooked and chilled overnight
- 200 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
Aromatics & Base
- 15 g lemongrass, tender bottom third only, minced
- 10 g galangal, peeled and finely minced
- 5 g bird's eye chilies, finely chopped
- 2 g makrut lime leaves, stem removed, cut into fine chiffonade
- 10 g shrimp paste
Seasonings & Garnishes
- 30 g nam prik pao
- 15 ml fish sauce
- 5 g palm sugar, finely chopped
- 50 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50 g straw mushrooms, halved
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- 10 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 564 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbohydrates
- 75 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 731 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 161 mg
- Potassium
- 418 mg
- Calcium
- 180 mg
- Iron
- 3.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 52 mg
- Phosphorus
- 241 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 35 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 278 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 20 mcg
- Water
- 120 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Mince the lemongrass, galangal, and bird's eye chilies. Remove the tough center ribs from the makrut lime leaves and slice them into paper-thin strips.
Heat half of the neutral oil in a wok over high heat. Add the shrimp and sear until they turn opaque pink and reach a safe internal temperature of 74C/165F. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining oil to the wok along with the minced lemongrass, galangal, chilies, and shrimp paste. Sauté until the shrimp paste is deeply aromatic and slightly toasted.
Increase the heat to high. Add the chilled jasmine rice to the wok, using the back of your spatula to break up any clumps and ensure every grain is separated and coated in the aromatic oil.
Season the rice by stirring in the nam prik pao, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Toss continuously until the rice takes on a uniform reddish-orange color and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Return the cooked shrimp to the wok along with the halved cherry tomatoes and straw mushrooms. Toss vigorously for another minute just until the tomatoes begin to soften and release slightly.
Turn off the heat entirely. Fold in the fresh lime juice, sliced makrut lime leaves, and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Shrimp paste (kapi) has a highly pungent aroma when raw, but transforms into a rich, deep umami flavor when fried in oil. Do not skip or rush the sautéing step.
- Removing the tough center rib from the makrut lime leaves before slicing them is crucial. They must be sliced paper-thin (chiffonade) to avoid a tough, fibrous texture in the final dish.
- Keep the wok extremely hot when tossing the rice to achieve wok hei, the signature slightly smoky flavor essential to professional-level fried rice.
- If your palm sugar is rock hard, microwave it for 10-15 seconds to soften it before attempting to chop it.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Seafood dishes are best consumed within 2 days.
Reheating: Microwave with a damp paper towel over the bowl, or stir-fry quickly in a hot pan with a splash of water to refresh.
Troubleshooting
The fried rice is mushy and clumping together
Cause: Using warm, freshly cooked rice that contains too much surface moisture
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely, but spreading the rice on a baking sheet to cool and dry slightly before continuing can marginally help
Prevention: Always use day-old rice that has been uncovered and chilled in the refrigerator overnight to dry out
The dish tastes overly salty and pungent
Cause: The shrimp paste was not toasted sufficiently in the oil, or the brand of fish sauce is particularly strong
Fix: Squeeze additional fresh lime juice and add a pinch of sugar to balance the aggressive salty notes
Prevention: Allow the shrimp paste to fry out thoroughly in step 3, and add fish sauce incrementally to taste
Cultural Context
Tom Yum is arguably the most famous flavor profile in Thai cuisine, balancing hot, sour, sweet, and salty notes. While traditionally served as a clear or creamy broth soup, transforming these quintessential aromatics into a fried rice allows the fragrant oils of lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime to permeate each grain of rice deeply.
