Thai cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Khao Pad Kaphrao Talay

Fried jasmine rice with prawns, squid, and plenty of holy basil, seasoned spicy with chili and fish sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g cooked jasmine rice (from the day before)
• 250 g prawns, peeled
• 200 g squid rings
• 2 handfuls Thai basil (holy basil, or Thai basil as a substitute)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 red chili peppers
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lime

Instructions

1. Loosen the cold jasmine rice with your fingers, pat the prawns and squid rings dry, roughly crush garlic and chilies in a mortar, and pick the basil leaves.
2. Stir fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and palm sugar in a small bowl into a seasoning mix until the sugar dissolves.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok until it just starts to smoke, and fry the garlic-chili paste for 20–30 sec. until fragrant but not yet dark.
4. Add the prawns and squid and stir-fry for 2 min. until the prawns are just turning pink and the rings are opaque.
5. Scatter in the rice, pour over the seasoning mix, and stir-fry everything over the highest heat for 3–4 min., pressing the rice flat repeatedly so it gets light charred spots.
6. Remove the wok from the heat, fold in the basil until wilted, and serve immediately with lime wedges.