Kai grata, or literally "pan eggs" in Thai, is a street-breakfast that is popular in the north and northeastern parts of Thailand. The eggs are cooked in a cute little pan they are served in, and topped with a variety of meats. If you prep your toppings in advance, comes morning time it'll take you just a few minutes to put this dish together. Oh and the traditional pan is cute, but any small skillet will work!
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Ingredients & Notes
Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and some important notes about them. I've given you 3 different meat options, but feel free to use only 1 or 2, or choose a different topping altogether. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.
- Butter, salted or unsalted is up to your preference
- Eggs, you can choose to do 2 or 3 eggs per serving. If you want 2 eggs, use a 6 inch pan, and if you want 3 eggs, use an 8-inch pan.
- Chinese sausage, sliced thinly on a diagonal, as much as you want here! When buying Chinese sausage I always look for a brand with few ingredients and little or no additives and chemicals as they tend to be ones that are higher quality and less salty.
- Vietnamese ham (cha lua), sliced, as much as you want, or substitute bologna sausage or hot dog.
- Seasoned ground meat (recipe below)
- Optional condiments: White or black pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, ketchup, Maggi Seasoning.
Seasoned Ground Meat
- Ground pork, beef or chicken, or you could even do chopped up shrimp or vegan ground.
- Oyster sauce
- Maggi Seasoning or Golden Mountain Sauce
- Optional: finely grated clove of garlic or garlic powder
- Green onion
Tools: You will also need a 6-inch skillet for 2 eggs, or a 8 inch skillet for 3 eggs. More on this below.
How to Make Thai Pan Eggs
Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.
- Combine the ground meat, oyster sauce, Maggi Seasoning, garlic (if using) and mix well.
- Add a little water to a saute pan and bring to a boil, then add the meat mixture and cook, stirring to break up lumps. When the meat is fully cooked, remove from heat and stir in the green onions. You can cook the ground meat in advance and keep in the fridge for up to one week.
- Slice thinly the Chinese sausages and the vietnamese ham, then sear them in a lightly greased pan over medium heat just until they are browned. Remove and set aside.
- Heat the appropriate size skillet over medium-low heat. If using stainless-steel, to prevent the eggs from sticking, you should heat the pan until very hot before adding any ingredients. When you sprinkle water onto the pan, the water should bead up and roll around the pan immediately. (See video for how to do the water test!)
- Add the butter, and once melted, add the eggs.
- Arrange the toppings on the eggs and cover the pan.
- Let the eggs steam for a few minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolk is done to your liking. If you prefer the yolks to be well done, keep the heat quite low to prevent the bottom from burning before the yolks finish cooking.
- When finished, remove from heat and garnish with a little extra green onions and white pepper if you wish. Serve with some bread and condiments. Enjoy!
Choosing the right pan
If you don't have a special pan like the one I used, you can simply cook the eggs in a small saute pan and slide them out onto a plate to serve. (A 6-inch pan will fit 2 eggs, and an 8-inch pan will fit 3 eggs.) The pan I used in the video is a stainless steel 6-inch tapas pan which I got it from a local cookware store (Gourmet Warehouse for those in Vancouver) and unfortunately I could not find a source for it online. This cast iron skillet will also work well.
Recipe Card
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"Pan Eggs" Breakfast Thai Style (Kai Grata)
- Yield: 1 serving
Description
A Thai style street breakfast. Eggs are cooked together with various toppings and served right in the pan with some fresh bread. It's super easy to make at home for a nice brunch!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 eggs (if you want 3 eggs, use an 8-inch pan)
- Chinese sausage, sliced, as much as you want
- Vietnamese ham (cha lua), sliced, as much as you want
- Seasoned ground meat (recipe below)
- Optional condiments: White or black pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, ketchup, Maggi Seasoning.
Seasoned Ground Meat
For 2-3 servings
- 120g ground pork, beef or chicken
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Maggi Seasoning or Golden Mountain Sauce
- Optional: 1 finely grated clove of garlic
- ½ a green onion, chopped (safe the other half for garnish)
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Instructions
To make the seasoned ground meat: Combine the meat, oyster sauce, Maggi Seasoning, garlic (if using) and and mix well. Add a little water to a saute pan and bring to a boil. Add the meat mixture and cook, stirring to break up lumps. When the meat is fully cooked, remove from heat and stir in green onions.
To prep the sausages: Slice thinly the Chinese sausages and the vietnamese ham, then sear them in a lightly greased pan over medium heat just until they are browned. Remove and set aside.
To make the pan eggs: Heat the pan/serving dish over medium-low heat. If using stainless-steel, to prevent the eggs from sticking, you should heat the pan until hot before adding any ingredients. See video for how to do the water test!
Add the butter, and once melted, add the eggs. Lay the toppings on the eggs and cover the pan. Let the eggs steam for a few minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolk is done to your liking. If you prefer the yolks to be well done, keep the heat quite low to prevent the bottom from burning before the yolks finish cooking.
When finished, remove from heat and garnish with a little extra green onions and white pepper if you wish. Serve with some bread and condiments. Enjoy!
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