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You are here: Home / eggs / Simple Nam Prik Pao Fried Rice

Simple Nam Prik Pao Fried Rice

December 27, 2011 By Laura 8 Comments

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I have a fabulous post to share with you about the meal I made for Christmas Day–but it will take a moment to organize, especially in the recipe department.  I wanted to get something out in the meantime, and this simple, short post about nam prik pao, or Thai chili jam fits the bill perfectly.

Nam prik pao is a really tasty Thai condiment.  It is made sweet by caramelized shallots and some sugar, salty and savory from shrimp paste, and spicy–to varying degrees–from chile peppers.  In Thailand, I think they use it on just about anything; in my limited experience I have used it in soups and on rice.  She Simmers has a great post on how to make it if you are so inclined, but here is the thing about nam prik pao: it is kind of a pain in the butt to make, especially when you remember it is a condiment so you are already cooking something else for dinner.

So I have spent the last 10 years avoiding it.  I just felt like I had to make it–every Thai cookbook that referred to it also gave a recipe.  And cooking from a culture that you are not from leads, at least for me, to an almost obnoxious purism.  After all, I am not Thai, I don’t always have a way of knowing when something commercial is an acceptable substitute.  And because I love and am respectful of the cuisines I am interested in, I am always interested in trying to make things as authentically as possible, at least the first time.

Enter She Simmers, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite blogs.  It turns out a lot of Thai people find nam prik pao to be more than acceptable in its commercial form.  Mind you, I am not claiming that homemade, freshly made nam prik pao is not superior (and nor would she).  I am sure it is, but I am also really sure that the stuff I mixed into my Thai fried rice from the jar was absolutely delicious.  Especially with a fried egg on top.  Leela has tons of uses for it over her at site–and if I have convinced you to run out and buy some then my work here is done.

But just in case you want a recipe…

4.5 from 2 votes
Print
Simple Nam Prik Pao Fried Rice
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: rice
Author: TheSpicedLife
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • leftover cold rice, 2-4 cups will be enough for 2 people
  • 2-3 T vegetable oil
  • 1 T fish sauce, to taste
  • 2 T nam prik pao, to taste
  • 2-4 fried eggs, depending on how much you like fried eggs!
  • lime wedges, optional
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the rice and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring. Add the fish sauce and nam prik pao, starting with lesser amounts. Stir, working the sauces into the rice. Taste for adjustments.
  2. Dump the rice into a serving dish and then add a little more oil to the pan. Quickly fry the eggs, preferably with a runny yolk so that its golden goodness can mingle with the nam prik pao. Serve on top of the rice with lime wedges if desired.
  3. *If you want a more complete, less "on the go" meal, add more veggies before adding the rice.

 

Filed Under: eggs, misc, pantry cooking, rice, sauces, Thai dishes Tagged With: chili jam, eggs, fried eggs, fried rice, nam prik pao, Thai

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Comments

  1. Joanne says

    December 28, 2011 at 7:25 am

    I have a feeling that this is the kind of condiment i’d quickly find excuses to smear on everything! Sounds like the perfect way to spice up fried rice!

    Reply
  2. Maggie @ kitchie coo says

    December 28, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    Nam prik pao is a condiment I have not heard of, but would really love to try. It sounds divine. I love Thai food so, I am certain I would love this. Thank you for a new food find!

    Reply
  3. Kiri W. says

    December 30, 2011 at 5:27 am

    Mmmm, how great is this recipe> I love this dish, and your recipe is so nice and quick 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Jerry Ko | Simply Good Eating says

    January 3, 2012 at 12:39 am

    I’ve made plenty of fried rice but have not tried the condiment you used and will give it a try. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂

    Reply
  5. Shane Byrd says

    June 1, 2022 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    A big barrier to me when trying to cook new cuisines has been the condiment recipes. I finally came to realize that an “American” recipe book printed in a foreign country may very well include a recipe for ketchup. Pre made is just fine 🙂

    Reply
    • Laura says

      June 1, 2022 at 11:34 pm

      Exactly! And I have made various homemade tomato relishes and chutneys and they do kick storebought ketchup’s butt, but obviously it is what I reach for with my french fries. It definitely helps though when a native points out which condiments are regularly purchased versus made.

      Reply
  6. Wee Curry Hoose says

    September 13, 2022 at 1:55 pm

    4 stars
    If you want to make it an authentic Thai meal then add Thai basil leaves [purple ones] near the end of cooking. It will change your life

    Reply
    • Laura says

      September 14, 2022 at 1:57 am

      I love Thai basil and use it frequently. However the odds of me finding it close by (versus a trip into the city) in the winter where I live is unfortunately pretty low, so I am not so likely to bother with it for something simple and fast like fried rice. But I agree, Thai basil really elevates dishes.

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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