Southeast Asia—Thai Hot Rice & Pork

Thai Entree

Hot Rice & Pork
Khao Phat
(Serves 8)

This delicious Thai dish has a little heat. Adjust according to your own taste. Go easy at first, then add more if you want.

3 C cooked long-grain white rice
4 T vegetable oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 lb. boneless pork (thin strips)
12 oz. medium shrimp (cooked)
3 tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 T hot chili sauce (more or less; see sidebar)
salt
2 tsp. shrimp paste (see sidebar)
6 eggs (slightly beaten)
8 scallions (diced)
2 T fresh cilantro or parsley (chopped)

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Heat oil to hot in a wok or large skillet and cook onion till translucent. Add garlic, cooking for 2 minutes to release its fragrance. Add pork and quickly brown. Add shrimp, cooking for 3-4 more minutes. Add tomatoes, rice, chili sauce, 1 tsp. salt, and shrimp paste. Heat through.

Mix in beaten eggs, tossing and stirring till eggs are cooked. Finally, stir in scallions and turn out into a large dish. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and serve immediately.

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Tips & Glossary

Southeast Asian cuisine seeks a balance of hot, sour, sweet, and salty—all in a single dish. Adjust to suit your taste perferences.

Many of the ingredients below are unfamiliar to Westerners, but you can find most in any local Asian market.

Fish Sauce: a liquid made of fermented anchovies and bottled (like soy sauce).

Galanga: a root related to ginger though with deeper tones of citrus and pine. Tough to slice...use a sharp knife. (If galanga is not to be found, use ginger root.)

Lemon Grass: tall, stalky, critus-flavored grass. Prior to cooking, pound or crush gently to release flavor.

Rice Sticks: aka rice noodles or vermicelli; thin dried noodles from rice flour. Soak before using, about 1 hour, or less, (depending on how soft or chewy you like your noodles.)

Shrimp Paste: fermented, ground shrimp. It carries a pungent aroma but is essential in cooking.

Taffir Lime: a lime bush native to the region. The leaves and pebbly rind (as zest) are used for flavoring, but not the juice. The leaves can be bought dried.

Tamarind: tropical tree grown in Africa and Asia; its fruit pulp is used as souring agent. It’s also found in Worcestershire sauce and some ketchup.