Thai Fried Rice & Sichuan Shrimp

Fried Rice:

Ingredients(Serves: 5 - 6):

Jasmine Rice                 --   4 Cups cooked, cooled
Red Onions                     --   1 large, thinly sliced
Green Chillies                --   3 - 4, slit
Thai Red Curry Paste --   2 - 3 tbsp (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
Garlic                                --   3 - 4 cloves, crushed
Mixed Vegetables        --   1 cup, chopped
Eggs                                   --   2
Soy Sauce                        --   1 tsp
Thai Fish Sauce             --   1 tbsp
Black Pepper                  --   1 tsp
Green Onions                 --   1 cup, chopped
Oil                                       --   3 tbsp
Salt                                     --   if required, after adding the paste and sauces.

Preparation:

Cook the rice as per the instructions on the packet. Preferably, plan a day ahead and cook it a day before and refrigerate. If not, make sure you use cool rice.
Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the onions and chillies until soft. Add the the red curry paste and fry until the oil separates from the mixture. Add the crushed garlic and the mixed vegetables and fry on medium high until the veggies are crisp and almost cooked.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, ½ tsp black pepper and soy sauce.
Push the veggies to the side and pour the eggs to the center of the wok. Scramble the eggs until they are set. Optionally you can scramble the eggs in another pan and add.
              
Add rice and mix thoroughly until coated with the mixture and is well heated.
Sprinkle pepper and the sauces and mix / toss lightly if you are an expert. Remove from heat.

Add the chopped onions and give a quick mix. Save some for garnishing.
Serve hot.

Sichuan Shrimp:

Ingredients(Serves: 5 - 6):

Shrimp                              --   1 kg, shelled, deveined & cleaned
Tomato ketchup            --   3tbsp
Soy Sauce                         --   4 tsp
Black pepper                   --   1 tsp
White Sesame Seeds     --   2 tsp, slightly roasted and ground
Cayenne                             --   1 ½ tbsp
White vinegar                  --   2 tbsp
Green Serrano Chillies --   7
Red Serrano Chillies     --   7
Garlic                                  --   4 - 5 large cloves
Ginger                                 --   4 tbsp, finely chopped
Red onion                          --   3 cups,thinly sliced
Cornstarch                        --   2 tsp
Water                                   --   ¼ cup
Spring Onions                   --   5, thinly chopped
Salt                                        --   as required
Oil                                          --   ¼ cup

Preparation:

Marinate the shrimp with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 15 - 20 mins.

Remove the seeds from the chillies and chop it. Slice the onions and chop the ginger and garlic.

Roast the sesame seeds until they start to change colour and grind to a fine powder.

In a bowl, mix the tomato ketchup, soy sauce, remaining black pepper, ground sesame seeds, cayenne and white vinegar.

In a wok, heat half the oil on high heat and fry the shrimp until they start to turn opaque. Remove from the pan and keep them aside.

Add the remaining oil into the same wok and let it heat up. Add the onions, chillies, ginger and garlic. Fry them until the onions turns soft.

Lower the heat to medium and then add the sauces and fried shrimp.Stir well to mix. In case you feel that the gravy is too thick to coat the shrimp completely, add ¼ cup of water before adding the shrimp.

Make a paste of corn flour and water. Add this and cook for 2  - 3 minutes.

Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Serve hot.

This dish is really hot. Adjust the number of chillies as you can tolerate.

Recipe Courtesy: partially from Food.com

                                    Rias Collection