Khao Pad Gai (Thai Chicken Fried Rice)

Method

1. Start with the table sauce, prik nam pla: thinly slice the chillies into a small bowl and pour over the fish sauce. Break up the cold rice with lightly wet hands so there are no clumps. Cut the chicken into thin 1.5 cm pieces, the onion into thin slivers, the tomato into 8 wedges and the spring onions into 3 cm lengths; finely chop the garlic. Slice the cucumber. Once you start frying there is no time to chop, so have everything within reach.

   Add in this stepBird's eye chillies 2Fish sauce (for the prik nam pla) 1½ tbsp

2. Heat the oil in a 28 cm wok or deep frying pan on high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and stir for 15–20 seconds until fragrant but not brown, then add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 min, until no pink remains on the outside.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1.4 tbspGarlic cloves 3Boneless chicken thigh 160 g

   high heat

3. Push everything to one side, pour the rest of the oil into the empty space and crack in the eggs. Leave them on high heat for a few seconds, then stir in big sweeps for 1 min until softly scrambled and only half set; they finish cooking in the rice and stay tender.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 0.6 tbspEggs 2

   high heat

4. Add the onion and stir for 1 min until it starts to soften, then add the rice. Press out any lumps with the back of the spatula and keep scooping and turning from the bottom of the pan on high heat for 3 min, until every grain is separate, piping hot and lightly toasted in places.

   Add in this stepOnion ½Cold cooked jasmine rice (day-old is best) 400 g

   high heat

5. Mix the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small cup and pour it around the hot edge of the pan so it sizzles, then toss it through the rice. Add the tomato and stir-fry on high heat for 1 min until it just softens, then add the spring onions and white pepper, toss for 20 seconds more and turn off the heat. Taste and add a few drops of fish sauce if it needs more salt.

   Add in this stepFish sauce (for the rice) 3 tspLight soy sauce 2 tspSugar 1 tspMedium tomato 1Spring onions 2Ground white pepper 1 pinch

   high heat

6. Pile the rice onto plates with the cucumber and lime wedges on the side. Squeeze the lime over just before eating and spoon on the prik nam pla, a little at a time, to make it as salty and hot as you like.

   Add in this stepCucumber ½Lime, cut into wedges ½