Thai fried rice ( th, ข้าวผัด, , ) is a variety of

fried rice Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. ...

typical of central

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...

. In Thai, ''khao'' means "

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

" and ''phat'' means "of or relating to being

stir-fried Stir frying () is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and t ...

". This dish differs from Chinese fried rice in that it is prepared with Thai

jasmine rice Jasmine rice ( th, ข้าวหอมมะลิ; ; ) is a long-grain variety of fragrant rice (also known as aromatic rice). Its fragrance, reminiscent of ''pandan'' (''Pandanus amaryllifolius'') and popcorn, results from the rice plant's n ...

instead of regular long-grain rice. It normally contains meat (

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are ref ...

, and

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...

are all common),

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

and sometimes

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es. The seasonings, which may include soy sauce, sugar, salt, possibly some

chili sauce Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces ...

, and the ubiquitous ''nampla'' (

fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao ...

), are stir-fried together with the other ingredients. The dish is then plated and served with accompaniments like cucumber slices, tomato slices,

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

and sprigs of

green onion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ...

and coriander, and ''phrik nampla'', a spicy sauce made of sliced

Thai chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili (Thai: ''prik ki nu'', พริกขี้หนู, literally "mouse dung chili" owing to its shape) is a chili pepper, a variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southea ...

es, chopped garlic cloves, fish sauce,

lime juice A lime (from French ''lime'', from Arabic ''līma'', from Persian ''līmū'', "lemon") is a citrus fruit, which is typically round, green in color, in diameter, and contains acidic juice vesicles. There are several species of citrus trees ...

and sugar.

Variants

Thai fried rice has many variants denoted by main ingredient or region. Examples include: * ''Khao phat mu'' () –

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

fried rice * ''Khao phat kai'' () –

fried rice * ''Khao phat thale'' () – seafood fried rice * ''Khao phat kung'' () – shrimp fried rice * ''Khao phat pu'' () – fried rice with

crab meat Crab meat or crab marrow is the meat found within a crab. It is used in many cuisines around the world, prized for its soft, delicate and sweet taste. Crab meat is low in fat and provides around of food energy per serving. Brown crab (''Canc ...

* ''Khao phat pla krapong'' () – fried rice with

canned fish Canned or tinned fish are food fish which have been processed, sealed in an airtight container such as a sealed tin can, and subjected to heat. Canning is a method of preserving food, and provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five y ...

(usually

sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the It ...

s or mackerel in tomato sauce) * ''Khao phat kak mu'' () – fried rice with pork

cracklings Cracklings (USA), crackling (British English), also known as scratchings, are the solid material which remains after rendering animal fat and skin to produce lard, tallow, or schmaltz, or as the result of roasting meat. It is often eaten as a snack ...

* ''Khao phat naem'' () – fried rice with ''

naem ''Naem'' ( th, แหนม, , also referred to as ''nham'', ''naem moo'', ''som moo'', ''naem maw'', ''chin som'') is a pork sausage in Laos and Thai. It is a fermented food that has a sour flavor. It has a short shelf life, and is often eaten ...

'', a type of fermented pork sausage * ''Khao phat bekhon'' () – bacon fried rice * ''Khao phat khai'' () – egg fried rice * ''Khao phat kaphrao'' () –

basil Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also k ...

fried rice * ''Khao phat namliap'' () – fried rice with Chinese olives * ''Khao phat sapparot'' () –

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

fried rice, or a more elaborate version known as ''khao op sapparot'' (), served inside a hollowed-out pineapple and garnished with

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...

s and

cashew nut The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...

s * ''Khao phat che'' () – vegetarian fried rice * ''khao phat tom yam'' () – a type of fried rice that is adapted from ''

tom yum Tom yum or tom yam (, ; th, ต้มยำ, ) is a type of hot and sour Thai soup, usually cooked with shrimp (prawn). The words "tom yam" are derived from two Thai words. ''Tom'' refers to the boiling process, while ''yam'' means 'mixed'. ...

'' soup and fried rice * ''Khao phat kaeng khiao wan'' () – fried rice mixed with

green curry Green curry ( th, แกงเขียวหวาน, , , literally "sweet-green curry") is a Central Thailand, central Thai variety of Thai curry, curry. Etymology The name "green" curry derives from the color of the dish, which comes from gr ...

paste * ''Khao phat nam phrik long ruea'' () – fried rice mixed with ''

nam phrik long ruea Nam phrik long ruea ( th, น้ำพริกลงเรือ; ) is a Thailand side-dish, a kind of fried ''nam phrik'' (dipping sauce) that is normally eaten with vegetables. It was supposedly first served in the era of King Rama V (1868–19 ...

'', a type of chili paste * ''Khao phat rotfai'' (; "train fried rice") – fried rice mixed with either

dark soy sauce In Chinese cuisine, dark soy sauce () is a dark-coloured soy sauce used mainly for adding colour and flavour to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than other types of soy sauce. As the Chinese name () suggests, it is also ag ...

or red

fermented bean curd Fermented tofu (also called fermented bean curd, white bean-curd cheese, tofu cheese, soy cheese or preserved tofu) is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine. The ingredients typically a ...

* '' Khao phat amerikan'' (; "American fried rice") uses

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

s, fried chicken, and eggs as side dishes or mixed into fried rice with

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among o ...

added. It was served to U.S. soldiers in Thailand during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, but now has become common in Thailand. The

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n counterpart, substituting pork with chicken, is called ''nasi goreng'' USA. *''

Khao khluk kapi ''Khao khluk kapi'' ( th, ข้าวคลุกกะปิ, ; sometimes spelled as ''khao kluk kapi'') is a flavorful dish in Thai cuisine that consists of primary ingredients of fried rice mixed with shrimp paste, the latter of which is known ...

'' () – fried rice mixed with shrimp paste

References

External links

* {{Thai cuisine Fried rice Thai rice dishes

Variants

See also

References

External links