Introducing Thai Curry Fried Rice, a recipe that delivers an unforgettable flavour experience. There’s something undeniably exciting about the marriage of Thai curry and fried rice. By infusing aromatic coconut rice with the vibrant, complex flavours of Thai curry you get the perfect balance of heat from chillies, freshness from lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, and a hint of sweetness from palm sugar. This dish is bound to become a new favourite.
Whether you’re craving a comforting meal or a dish that impresses at the dinner table, this Thai Curry Fried Rice is perfect. It’s also versatile enough to accommodate various proteins. While the recipe calls for prawns, you can easily swap them for chicken, tofu, or even beef, depending on your preference. Not only does this dish showcase bold flavours, but it also introduces an easy, quick method for creating a satisfying, hearty meal in less than 30 minutes. Let’s dive in and break down the ingredients and steps involved in preparing this delightful dish!
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Preparing the Coconut Rice
- Cooling the Rice Before Stir-Frying
- Customising Thai Curry Fried Rice
- More Thai-Inspired Recipes
Ingredient Breakdown
- White Basmati Rice: A fragrant, long-grain rice that acts as the base for the dish. It soaks up all the wonderful flavours from the coconut cream and curry paste.
- Coconut Cream: Adds a rich, creamy texture to the rice and pairs perfectly with the spicy and aromatic curry flavours.
- Thai Red or Green Curry Paste: The heart of the Thai flavour profile. It offers a robust combination of chillies, garlic, and spices.
- Kaffir Lime Leaves: These aromatic leaves are key to the fresh, citrusy notes that elevate the entire dish.
- Frozen Peas: A pop of colour and a light sweetness that balances the heat and spice in the dish.
- Coconut Oil: Ideal for stir-frying, this oil brings an additional layer of coconut flavour to the fried rice.
- Prawns (or alternative protein): Adds a delicate sweetness and texture to the dish. You can swap them for any protein of your choice.
- Lemongrass: Adds a fresh, citrusy, and herbal note that’s a hallmark of Thai cuisine.
- Fresh Ginger: A fragrant, zesty ingredient that complements the lemongrass and curry paste.
- Garlic: Essential for adding depth of flavour and richness to the fried rice.
- Palm Sugar (or light brown sugar): A touch of sweetness that perfectly balances the heat and acidity of the curry paste.
- Light Soy Sauce: Enhances the savoury, umami flavours and adds depth to the fried rice.
- Ground White Pepper: Offers a mild heat and delicate spiciness, completing the flavour profile.
Preparing the Coconut Rice
The first step in making Thai Curry Fried Rice is preparing the aromatic coconut rice. This forms the heart of the dish. Begin by rinsing the basmati rice thoroughly to remove any excess starch. This step is crucial to ensure that the rice cooks up light and fluffy rather than sticky. Once rinsed, drain the rice well before moving on to the next steps.
In a medium saucepan, combine coconut cream, Thai curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, water, and salt. Stir to mix the ingredients together, and then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. This aromatic blend creates the foundation for the rice, infusing it with the distinct flavours of Thai curry.
Next, stir in the rinsed rice and bring the mixture back to a simmer. After that, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and let the rice cook for around 12 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed the flavours and the liquid, remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. This will allow the rice to finish steaming. Then, fluff the rice with a fork and spread it out in a single layer on a large baking dish to cool.
Cooling the Rice Before Stir-Frying
A crucial step in making Thai Curry Fried Rice is allowing the coconut rice to cool before stir-frying. This step is often overlooked, but it plays a significant role in achieving the perfect fried rice texture.
When rice is freshly cooked and still warm, the grains tend to stick together, resulting in a clumpy, mushy dish when fried. By allowing the rice to cool, preferably for at least 30 minutes or even overnight, the grains firm up and separate, making them much easier to fry without clumping.
Cooling the rice also helps it absorb the flavours of the curry paste, coconut cream, and other seasonings more effectively. When stir-frying cooled rice, the grains become light and fluffy. This gives them a slightly crispy texture on the outside, while remaining tender and well-seasoned on the inside.
If you’re in a rush, you can speed up the cooling process by spreading the rice out in a single layer on a large baking dish or tray, ensuring maximum exposure to the air. This step not only improves the texture of the rice but also enhances the overall quality of the Thai Curry Fried Rice, making it a much more enjoyable dish to eat.
Customising Thai Curry Fried Rice
One of the great things about Thai Curry Fried Rice is how easy it is to customise. While prawns are the recommended protein in the recipe, you can swap them out for any protein of your choice. Chicken, tofu, or even beef will work wonderfully, so feel free to experiment with what you have on hand. You can also adjust the level of spice by adding more or less curry paste, depending on your heat tolerance.
If you’re vegan, simply replace the prawns with tofu or tempeh and ensure your soy sauce is plant-based. The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility, allowing you to create a meal that suits your tastes and dietary preferences.
More Thai-Inspired Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed making this Thai Curry Fried Rice, here are some more recipes packing a similar punch for you to try:
- Thai-Inspired Pumpkin Soup: This vegan Thai-inspired pumpkin soup packs a ton of flavour. It’s spicy, creamy and absolutely delicious!
- Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup: A winter warmer in every sense of the word – it’s fiery, full of flavour and absolutely delicious!
- Golden Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup: This Golden Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup is quite literally a hug in a bowl. It’s hearty, comforting and packed full of umami flavours which comes together in just 20 minutes.
See how I make these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Thai Curry Fried Rice
Thai curry meets fried rice. This dish is an absolute flavour bomb: it combines the signature flavours of Thai curry—chillies, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and coriander—with aromatic coconut rice. The recipe calls for prawns, but you can use any protein you’d like!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Rice and Risotto
Ingredients
- 400 g white basmati rice
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 150 g Thai red or green curry paste
- 4 large kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 250 ml water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 300 g frozen peas
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 500 g raw king prawns
- 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
- 30 g fresh ginger root, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
Making the rice:
- Rinse the rice thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clean, then drain well.
- Combine the coconut cream, Thai red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, water and salt in a medium saucepan over high medium-heat, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Stir in the rinsed rice and bring back to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let sit for a further 5 minutes, keeping the lid on.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer to a large baking dish to cool; spreading it out into a single layer will allow it to cool faster. Cool at least 30 mins or up to overnight.
Making the fried rice:
- Boil the peas according to package instructions. Drain, set aside and allow to cool.
- From this point onwards, the fried rice comes together very quickly, so it’s important you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
- Heat the coconut oil over high heat in a 31 cm wok. If you don’t have a wok, use a large sauté pan.
- Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the sea salt, white pepper and palm sugar and toss to combine.
- Add the cooled rice and peas. Stir-fry, tossing continually, until the rice and peas are heated through, around 2 to 4 mins – enjoy!
