Pork fried rice with a fried egg

There is a natural tendency for us to think of Thai food as spicy, but there exists a whole plethora of dishes that are flavourful and completely lacking in chillies. These dishes are delicate and highlight the nuances of Thai flavours. This is one of those dishes.

This pork fried rice is a simple dish and can be made with either ground pork or the more traditional thinly sliced pork tenderloin. The rice is flavoured with soy sauce and oyster sauce for a light flavour and the topping of a fried egg is what makes this dish magic.

I have started going to this massive volume on Thai cooking more frequently. It is packed full of recipes from land and culture that prides itself on its cuisine. This book definitely steps out of the ordinary, a must for any cook who wants everything Thai in their kitchen and on their table. Occasionally, in this book, I do come across a recipe where the ingredient is hard to find, but with over 500 recipes, there is so much more to cook.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 lb pork shoulder or butt, minced or thinly sliced

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 cups cooked jasmine rice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup Chinese kale or bok choy, sliced into thin ribbons

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

10-15 cherry tomatoes, whole or halved

1 cucumber, partially peeled and thinly sliced for garnish

Lime wedges

Fried eggs, one per head

Fry a fried egg, sunny side up or fully cooked depending on the choice of your guests. Set aside keeping them warm.

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic. Sautèe for 30 seconds till lightly golden. Add the pork and fry on medium heat till the pork is cooked through and browned in spots.

Add the egg and stir rapidly to break up the egg into small crumbles that are fully cooked in about 30 seconds. Add the rice and mix it well.

Drizzle in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and mix well into the rice to get an even colour. Add the greens, onions and cook for 2 minutes, till the onions are just soft. Add the tomatoes and stir in well.

Turn out the rice into individual bowls. Top with an egg. Garnish with slices of cucumber.

Serve immediately.