I    have owed you guys this recipe for quite some time and am so excited to finally share it with you.  First of all, you can make this with my Thai Curry that I  just posted but fyi I’ve taken numerous Thai Cooking classes, learning everything from what authentic ingredients are actually required to the technique and cooking style. Each time I    take a class I’m inspired more and more to re create it my own way, with my own spice level and of course- always extra garlic! Thai food is one of my favorite meals because it has a great balance of flavors like spicy, sweet, umami, and salty! I    feel like dishes are really well rounded out in thai cooking.

If you are vegetarian, you can find all sorts of thai ingredients that are vegetarian and vegan friendly like vegan fish sauce etc (usually whole foods or amazon is a good bet). I    use jasmin rice in this recipe because it is sticky and the perfect consistency and I    promise you, frozen jasmine rice is life saving. No preservatives or funky ingredients- just rice that has been frozen ! I    buy it usually at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Here are some of my other favorite Asian inspired recipes:

Vegetable Pot Stickers

Hakka Noodles

Gochujang Noodles

What you will need from the Asian Market:

Dark & Sweet Soy Sauce – Try your best to  not use Kikkoman soy sauce for this if you can, this dark and sweet soy sauce (popular with thai cooking) is  found at Asian Markets and has a much better and deeper flavor profile and totally worth taking the trip out there!

Oyster Sauce– If you are vegetarian check out this vegetarian Oyster Sauce !

Thai Basil – If you cannot find thai basil, you can use regular basil but I  highly highly suggest tracking down some thai basil!

Red Chilis – I    know this recipe only calls for three of these chilis but I    promise you there is a distinctly different flavor in these and I    have notice the difference when making this dish with serranos or other chilis. The dish will still be great but this really makes it more authentic !

Rice Wine Vinegar

Shallots – you can usually find these at a regular grocery store, you might as well pick these up if you’re headed there!

While the following ingredients are not needed or called for in this recipe, I    commonly use them in my Asian cooking so if you’re making the trip, be sure to pick up some Gochuchang, Sambal Olek, Rice Wine Vinegar, Udon Noodles, Dumpling Wrappers (frozen sometimes)!

I   made this recipe as authentic as possible, so yes, it will require a trip to the Asian market but I wanted you to have a solid recipe first, and then feel free to make short cuts as you seem fit! I  hope you all enjoy it and tag me on @thecchutneylife if you decide to make it so I  can see your wonderful creations!

Happy Eating!

Thai Basil Fried Rice

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 3 thai red chilis, top hard stem removed and chilis cut in half
  • 20 oz bag of frozen jasmin rice, defrosted (3 cups cooked jasmine rice)
  • 2 large shallots, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup scallion whites (from 1 bunch of scallions) darker green parts kept separated
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into small strips
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup thai basil leaves
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1/3 cup scallions (green parts)

Instructions
 

  • In a mortar and pestle, combine 8 cloves of garlic and thai red chilis and crush into a small paste. If you don't have a mortar pestle, you can do this in a mini food processor to chop very findly by hand. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine the following ingredients: dark soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, white pepper, red chili flakes and set aside.
  • Heat a large wok or skillet over medium high heat and add about 3 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mashed garlic and red chilis and stir until fragrant but not browned. Next add the scallion whites and stir for another 30 seconds.
  • Next add the sliced peppers and shallots and stir for about two minute until slightly softened.
  • Toss in the cooked rice, and right on top, add in the mixed sauce stir well until everything is combined and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Optional: move all of the rice to the side and scramble an egg in the side of the same pan to toss into the rice.
  • Tear up the basil leaves roughly with your hands an add to the rice, along with the scallions. Mix well and taste for salt. Adjust if you need more spice, sweetness or salt. Thai food is a good balance of all of these so based on your taste, you can add more sugar, soy sauce, salt, or red chili flakes for spice.
  • Enjoy hot.