Chilli beef (or mutton) jasmine rice

Everyone loves fried rice. It is a standard on every Chinese menu, and variations of this dish exist in Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, and Vietnamese cuisines. It is a classic dish that takes on the flavours and meat from the region and is absolutely a customer favourite.

So, how do you know when you are having terrific fried rice? A few characteristics are that the rice grains should be separate, not mushed together in a gooey mess. The dish should be lightly oiled, not floating in a layer of grease—finally, the perfect balance of spice, flavour, and everything delicious. Trust me, when you have good fried rice, it is truly memorable.

This traditional recipe called for beef; however, I have substituted mutton. You can also choose to substitute chicken or finely diced firm tofu for a vegetarian version.

Here is fried rice, which I think is absolutely delicious. I chose to make this with brown jasmine rice for the extra bite. The spices and chillies in the dish beautifully coat the rice and meat, giving the dish that pops of flavour. The ground meat is crisp and compliments the bite of the rice beautifully. It is served with a spicy sauce that adds that touch of acid from the lime juice to cut the fat and that extra pop of spice to make you sweat. This is fried rice with which I am in love.

This is a new cookbook on my shelf, one I have craved for a long time. The cookbook is from a chain of restaurants in London and across the UK. The recipes are very authentic and pop with flavours. Most are super simple, and those I have made are always wonderful. You will see me cook from here again when I crave simple Thai cuisine.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon oil

1/2 lb ground beef, mutton, or chicken

1 cup white or brown jasmine rice, cooked separately

2-3 Thai red chillies, halved

2-3 Thai green chillies, halved

A few drops of Thai fish sauce or any fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Salt, to taste

15-20 Thai basil leaves, roughly torn

Scallions, cut in fine circles, to garnish (optional)

For the chilli paste:

4 garlic cloves, 3-4 Thai red chillies, chopped

3-4 Thai green chillies, chopped

A pinch of salt

For the nam pla prik chilli fish sauce:

1 Thai red chilli, finely minced

1 Thai green chilli, finely minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/4 cup water

Start by making the chilli paste. Add the ingredients to a small mortar and pound to a rough paste. Set aside.

Make the nam pla prik chilli fish sauce by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and setting it aside for the flavours to mingle. Allow curing for at least 1 hour. The sauce starts very spicy but usually mellows out with time. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a deep wok on a high flame. Add the meat and stir fry until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your stove. Use a wooden spatula to break up the lumps until you get a very fine crumble.

When the meat is lightly coloured, turn the heat down to medium, add the chilli paste, and fry for 1 minute until you can smell the spice.

Add the rice, chillies, fish sauce, sugar, and oyster sauce and mix well, tossing the rice to coat it with the sauce. Cook for an additional 3 minutes on very high heat until the rice starts getting crisp on the outside. You will see it change a shade of colour. Taste and adjust the salt.

Serve immediately, garnished with basil and scallions (if desired) and with the Nam pla prik chilli fish sauce on the side.

Note: This dish should be eaten as soon as it is made. Do not make it ahead of time and keep it.