Local name: ข้าวผัด
The khao pad of street canteens, this Thai rice is day-old rice wok-fried with egg, crunchy vegetables, soy sauce and Thai basil.
AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish
Cold day-old rice is essential: fresh rice is too moist and turns mushy in the wok. Without eggs, with tamari labelled wheat free for the soy sauce and sugar for the sweet soy sauce, the dish is vegan and gluten-free.
An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.
That is the main trap in this dish: fresh rice still holds moisture and goes pasty in the wok. If you have no day-old rice, spread cooked rice on a tray, let it cool, then dry it uncovered in the fridge for at least an hour.
Leave out the eggs, which are not structurally necessary, and use tamari labelled wheat free in place of soy sauce. Check the sweet soy sauce too, which is usually wheat-based, or replace it with a spoonful of sugar.
Its aniseed scent is distinctive and Italian basil does not really reproduce it, though it will do at a pinch. Always add it off the heat, since it loses all its aroma when cooked.
Four methods cover almost every rice dish. Which grain to pick, whether to rinse, how much water, what heat, and why the resting time matters.
What actually saves time on a weeknight: a hot pan instead of an oven, rinsed tinned pulses, one loud aromatic, and a starch cooking while you work.
The kitchens that never needed wheat, from nixtamalised maize to teff and cassava, and the places gluten hides where nobody thinks to look.
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