Kao kluk gapi or Thai shrimp paste fried rice, is one of my absolute favourite Thai dishes, and is a contender for my "last meal." The rice is fried with the super umami shrimp paste, and then tossed with sweet caramel pork, crunchy vegetables, and with a squeeze of lime to brighten everything up. It is a dish that explodes with flavours and textures in ways you probably have never experienced.
*Pro tip: The shrimp paste makes this dish absolutely delicious, but it does have a funky smell. (I promise it tastes 1000x better than it smells!) So when you make the fried rice, open all the windows and turn the hood fan to high so your place doesn't smell like shrimp paste for days! Ask me how I know, lol.
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Shrimp Paste Fried Rice ข้าวคลุกกะปิ (kao kluk gapi)
- Yield: Serves 3-4
Ingredients
For the Fried Rice
- 500g cooked rice, about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoon shrimp paste
For the Caramel Pork
- 350 g pork belly or pork butt, cut into 2 x 1 cm pieces
- 100 g palm sugar, finely chopped
- ½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black soy sauce
The Fixins
- 1-2 eggs for omelette
- Dried shrimp
- Fresh shallots, julienned
- Lime
- Thai chilies, finely chopped
- Long beans, cut into ¼" pices
- Julienned sour mango or julienned carrots marinated in lime juice
- Cucumber, cut into ¼, then sliced thinly
*If using 2 eggs, fry 1 egg at a time to keep it thin.
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Instructions
For the pork: Sauté shallots until they start to caramelize. Add palm sugar and stir over medium heat until it is melted and starts to turn an amber colour. Add the pork, soy sauce, fish sauce, black soy sauce, and just enough water to cover the pork. Stir to mix and dissolve the sugar. Let simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the syrup has reduced until thick and shiny.
For the rice: Saute the shrimp paste in oil on medium low heat until aromatic. Add a splash of water, just enough to loosen the shrimp paste, and mash the shrimp paste until there are no more clumps. Add the rice and toss over medium high heat until thoroughly mixed.
For the omelette: Pre-heated a non-stick, 10-inch frying pan over medium heat with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Swirl until the egg is even distributed, and lower the heat to low. Cook until the other side is a light golden colour, and the top is dry enough to flip. Flip the omelette and cook the other side for a few seconds just to set it. Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Cut the omelette in half, then slice each half into thin strips.
For the dried shrimp: Add dried shrimp to a wok or a small pot, then add just enough oil to cover. Turn the heat on medium high, and once the shrimp are bubbling, turn the heat down to medium low and fry for another 1-2 minutes, or until the bubbling starts to slow down. Remove, drain, and cool on a plate.
To assemble: Serve the rice in the middle and arrange a small amount of the caramel pork and all the other fixings around the rice. When ready to eat, squeeze the lime over the rice and toss everything together! Enjoy!
Jan says
The recipe calls for "1 tsp tablespoon black soy sauce". Which is it, a tsp or a tablespoon?
Thanks.
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Oh good catch! Sorry about that it should say teaspoon not tablespoon. And fixed, thank you!
Meg says
I have a question regarding the dried shrimp. Do I soak the dried shrimp and dry it before frying? Or can I fry it right out of the package?
Thank you for posting awesome recipes. I look forward to making this.
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi Meg, you can fry it right out of the package! And thank you!
Millie says
Is it really two Tablespoons of shrimp paste?? That was a lot of salt and shrimp tatste, like overload and I love both so... 😬 I even had to add extra rice to calm it down, still very strong. LOL I love everything else I've tried recipe wise. 🥰
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Sorry I missed this! 2 Tbsp for 500g of rice shouldn't be overly salty...what brand of shrimp paste did you use if you don't mind sharing? If you measured the rice by cup is it possible the rice was too loosely packed?
Ian says
Really didn't know what to expect when I first made this as I'd never seen it in a Thai restaurant, and have never been to Thailand. Was really impressed by the textures and flavors and my roommates loved it as well.
Stephen Chan says
My all-time favourite Thai rice dish, I make this on a regular basis, but quite often I don't make the caramel pork but add sliced Thai sweet sausage (Kun Chiang) instead as a lazy cheat😜