If you ask the people of Koh Samui what their favourite dishes are, many of them will tell you that they love fried rice with shrimp paste. Although originally from the Central Plain of Thailand, this simple dish is incredibly popular throughout the country. Here is the recipe to prepare it at home.
Serves 2 as a one-meal dish.
Fried rice
4 shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
400 g cooked rice, chilled
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Omelette
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Sweet pork
150 g pork belly, sliced
1 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
0.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce
4 shallots
4 tablespoons chicken stock (or water)
Vegetable oil, to stir-fry
Side dishes
2 fresh chillies, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
2 snake beans, sliced
half a green mango, peeled and cut in fine julienne
20 g dried shrimps, stir-fried until golden (about 2 minutes) and drained on kitchen paper
1 Chinese sausage, sliced, stir-fried for about 2 minutes and drained on kitchen paper
1 lime slice
Prepare sweet pork : marinade pork belly with oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar for at least 20 minutes. Then stir-fry shallots. Add marinated pork belly and stir-fry for about 2 minutes on low heat. Add stock (or water) and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Reserve.
Omelette: fry beaten eggs with fish sauce until omelette is cooked. Then slice it finely.
Prepare fried rice : stir-fry shallots for 1 minute. Add shrimp paste and stir-fry until it releases the flavours (about 1 minute). Add rice and stir well until rice is reheated (about 2-3 minutes).
Transfer rice on a serving plate with omelette, sweet pork and side dishes.