There are so many ways to bring Thai flavours to your table at home, it does not need to be complicated at all. Even the humble fried rice can be taken in the Thai direction with the simple addition of a couple ingredients. Tom yam fried rice is one of my go-tos and as we are in the Algarve we can add some of our favourite fresh seafood. I personally think that tom yam tastes best with prawns, squid, clams and even fish. Of course, you can replace seafood with any protein of your choice. Chicken and beef would work perfectly, and a veggie version would be delicious, too!
I hope you love my fried rice with a Thai twist as much as I do.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 150 gm mixed seafood
- ¼ cup green peas or diced carrots
- 1 cup cooked overnight rice
- 1 tbsp tom yam paste
- 2 kaffir lime leaves shredded
- 1 lemongrass stick smashed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 pinch brown sugar
Instructions
Heat the oil in a wok and brown your onion. Half way through, add the garlic. Once nicely browned and aromas start to waft, add lemongrass and kaffir leaves.
Give it a couple minutes before you add your tom yam paste (store bought works perfectly), fish sauce and sugar. Stir for a couple more minutes, and then your seafood and veggies can go in the wok.
You’ll want to coat your seafood in all that yummy paste that you’ve been working on in the wok, so give it 5–6 minutes. Now add your rice to the wok and fry everything together, mixing the sauce evenly. Just another 5–6 minutes is required before you can dish up.
Coriander and spring onions always work perfectly with Thai food, plus a squeeze of lime for some acidity and to cut through the spice if you like here. Enjoy!
Joy Entry is a Malaysian home cook based in Lagos who is obsessed with the provocative, unapologetic flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine.
Instagram: @thatasianhomecook
