Thai Fried Rice (Kaoh Pad)

One of the main mistakes that visitors to Thailand make is in ordering Thai Fried Rice (Kaoh Pad) to go along with their choice of main dish. This is simply not the way the Thais approach fried rice. If they are ordering multiple dishes, they will always order plain rice. Instead, a plate of fried rice is consumed as a meal in itself, usually for breakfast or lunch.

What really makes Thai Fried Rice stand out is the freshness of the produce used to prepare it. Thai folks work on a buy today, eat today basis, with all food being purchased fresh each morning, to be prepared that day. When a Thai cook prepares fried rice, the vegetables will always be green and fresh, and the meat will always be succulent. If you wish to create the true Thai taste of fried rice, always cook with the freshest produce.

Taste wise, Thai Fried Rice is different from other Asian forms of fried rice for two reasons. Firstly, Jasmine rice is almost always used in the preparation of the dish, and this rice has a fuller, more aromatic nature. Secondly, because every plate of Thai Fried Rice is accompanied by a small bowl of Prik Nam Pla. This is a basic condiment which Thai people use to replace both salt and vinegar. It is simple to make, and consists of nothing more than some diced chillies and chopped garlic, swimming in fish sauce. This gives the Thai Fried Rice a more salty flavour, and adds spiciness due to the chopped chillies.

When Thai Fried Rice is served, it will always be put out on to a plate, and along the edge of the plate will be placed thinly sliced cucumber, which will have been refrigerated. This cucumber is used to cool down the burning effect of the Prik Nam Pla, in the event of too many pieces of chopped chilli finding their way on to a single spoonful of Thai Fried Rice. Quite simply, if one mouthful is too hot, then pop in a cooling slice of cucumber.