If you’ve ever had fried rice at a Thai restaurant, you know that Thai fried rice has such unique flavor that really sets it apart. I took the basic flavor concepts of traditional Thai rice (along with inspiration from a recipe in a favorite cookbook) to make this healthy, hearty recipe. This dinner can be whipped up in an hour (or 20 minutes if you are using leftover rice, which I recommend!) and is bursting with flavor and texture.
It’s essentially the same process as making regular fried rice, but the ingredients you add are totally different. I start with cooked brown jasmine rice and then prep all the add-ins. It’s helpful to prepare mis en place here because once you start the frying process everything goes really quickly!
The result is a super flavorful one pan meal with sweet juiciness from the tomatoes and raisins, crunch from the roasted cashews, and loads of flavor from the garlic, shallots, green onion, and cilantro. I could eat this stuff for days!
This is completely vegetarian and is easily made vegan by using crumbled firm tofu instead of eggs. For the meat eaters, this is also delicious with roasted shrimp added in (like how I made it for Jason in yesterday’s vlog).
- 2 t. coconut oil
- 2 T. shallots, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/3 c. golden raisins
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 c. shredded vegetables (I use a bagged broccoli slaw from the store as a shortcut)
- 2 t. sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 4 c. cooked brown rice
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- 1/4 c. tomato sauce
- 1 c. diced tomato
- 1 t. sesame oil
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 1/2 c. roasted cashew halves
- 2 T. cilantro, chopped
- Heat a large wok or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add in the shallots, green onions, and raisins. Stir and sautee until everything softens and just starts to brown.
- Add in the garlic, stir and cook just until the garlic softens and starts to toast (less than a minute).
- Add in the shredded vegetables, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir and sautee until the vegetables are cooked through.
- Add the rice, scrambled egg, tomato sauce, tomato, sesame oil, soy sauce, cashews, and cilantro. Stir until the rice is well coated in sauce and all the ingredients are heated through (should be just a few minutes).
- Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Serve hot!
The types of vegetables that you use is up to you (and you could always use more) BUT don’t sub out the tomatoes or the tomato sauce! They really make the dish!
I have a feeling the same ingredients would work well with quinoa instead of rice! Oh, the possibilities…
-Lauren
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5 Responses
Cayce
I saw this recipe on your vlog yesterday and it looked delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves
This looks fantastic! My mom makes fried rice all the time and she was born in Laos (right next to Thailand), so this so reminds me of something she would love to make for us. Maybe I’ll make this for HER one day!
Matt @ Runner Savvy
Looks great!
Mary elaine Jones
This rice is amazing. I had left over black rice and it was fabulous. I tried it with left over white jasmine it was a a hit once again. This rice is a great recipe to clean the fridge out. Use what ever you have on hand to make a good healthy side or main meal.
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
So glad you enjoyed it! And I agree–it’s an awesome way to use up produce that you have leftover!