Pad Khao Gai (Chicken Fried Rice)

This was such a satisfying meal, it was quick to cook and looked really good too. This is the kind of dish you can find all over Thailand as it’s possibly the most common Thai street food dish. It’s also a popular thing to have at breakfast and if you’re not as into chillies as I am, it’s also a good one as you choose whether to add chillies or not. As you can see I also went for a bit of traditional Thai presentation with serrated edge cucumber and a vertically sliced lime! This is also a really easy one to make that doesn’t require any substitutions as there are no obscure ingredients.

For two big portions use:

• two small chicken breast, cut into small pieces


• two-three cups of pre cooked and cool (ideally yesterdays) white rice


• half a carrot, cut into thin rounds


• 4 spring onions, finely sliced


• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped


• 2 eggs


• a good splash of soy sauce


• a small splash of fish sauce (nam pla) easy to find in regular supermarkets


• a big pinch of sugar


• a big pinch of ground white or black pepper


• a few slices of cucumber (for decoration)


• 1 lime, sliced vertically (for decoration)


• a crispy fried egg (optional)


• vegetable oil for frying

For the nam prik pla (chillies in fish sauce) mix:

• three or four red chillies, finely chopped


• one small clove garlic, very finely chopped


• a large splash of fish sauce

If making a crispy fried egg for the top and/or  nam prik pla, do these bits first. Keep your egg warm in the oven while you cook the main dish. Heat a splash of oil in a wok or frying pan, when it’s hot, add the garlic and stir fry for just a few seconds before throwing the chicken in. Cook the chicken most of the way through before pushing it away to one side of the pan. Crack your two eggs into the empty side and break the yolks. Let it sit for a few seconds then stir, let it stick, then stir and break up. Do this a few minutes until the egg is cooked through and in in scrambly chunks. Stir everything back together, add in your carrots and spring onions. Add in the white rice and gently stir everything together. Now add in the fish and soy sauces, sugar and ground pepper. Cook for a few minutes more until everything is well coated in sauce and cooked through. To plate up, pack a small bowl with the fried rice and tip it out onto a plate. Add on the cucumber and lime wedge, followed by your crispy fried egg and a spoonful of the name prik pla (if using). Squeeze on the lime, give the rice a good mix through and devour with gusto!!