This Vegan/ Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice is a deliciously easy dish on the dinner table in under 20 minutes. It's the ultimate Asian comfort food: sweet, salty, savory, and budget-friendly! (Not including rice cooking time, if not using leftover rice.)
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⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Budget-friendly: This Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice (Khao Pad) is the perfect way to finish up day old rice. (Click through for more leftover rice recipes as well as how to store leftover rice safely.) Waste not, want not!
- Simple: It is a quick but delicious meal that doesn't require any fancy ingredients or equipment. Plus, making it at home means you can customise it to your spice level! Better and healthier than Thai restaurants!
- Easy: You may have noticed that I don't have any Chinese fried rice recipes despite being an Asian food blog (and growing up eating Asian food in Asia.) That's because Chinese fried rice is all about your stir-frying temperature and skill: you need a VERY hot fire to get the wok hei, or smoky flavor, that is found in good Chinese food. To be honest, it's hard to get your pan as hot at home. The seasoning can be quite subtle, as in Egg Fried Rice, so the the wok hei is missing, it's obvious. Good Thai street food often has the same fire. However, as Thai fried rice has such flavouring seasonings, it helps to hide the lack of smokiness and a home-cooked version can be just as good as one from a restaurant!
What is Thai Basil?
Not to be confused with Holy Basil (Gra Pao), another herb commonly used in Thai cooking, Thai Basil has dark green leaves that sometimes have a purplish tinge.
Unlike Italian basil, it has a strong aniseed flavor, somewhat similar to licorice, and is also found in Taiwanese cuisine as well as these Thai basil recipes.
🥘 Ingredients
You will only need a few simple ingredients for this Thai rice recipe:
- jasmine rice: Thai food is all about long grain jasmine rice! (If you can't get it, use basmati rice but it won't be so fragrant.) If you have safely stored day-old rice, use that. It helps ensure that your fried rice is not mushy, with separate grains of rice. (Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture- if you need to cook rice for this dish, use a bit less water than you normally do.) If trying to be healthy, you can use brown rice or cauliflower rice, although note it won't taste authentically Thai.
- fresh Thai basil: this is the key ingredient. If you really can't get it, you can use Holy Basil. The dish will have a different but still delicious taste. I do not recommend Italian Basil if you want the dish to actually taste like Thai cuisine! You can get it at the Asian grocery store or grow it yourself with ClickandGrow. That's what I use and I have lots of fresh herbs every day, despite living in a flat with no natural light!
- vegetable oil: please use a neutral vegetable oil such as palm oil. Do not use olive oil if you want the recipe to taste authentically Thai.
- frozen pea and carrot mix: I am using frozen peas and carrots for convenience as they can be sautéed from frozen, no cutting required. (Carrot, pea and corn mix work too.) You can also substitute this with red bell pepper (1-2, depending on size.) If you use mushrooms as a substitute, it will increase the cooking them as they will release a lot of water which you will need to cook off. Other popular Thai vegetables that you can use are long beans.
- garlic and fresh red chilies: I pound them into a paste but, if lazy, you can blend them or simply smash then mince them. I use small Thai chilies but they're hot! If you can't take so much spice, either reduce the number of chilies or use large red chilies instead. (Large chilies are les spicy.) Note that a less spicy dish will not need as much sugar, so cut down on the sugar accordingly.
- Shallot: I find they add a great texture to the fried rice! If you've no time to slice and crisp them up, simply smash them together with the garlic and chilies, and saute together.
- Vegetarian Oyster Sauce: You can find vegetarian oyster sauce at Asian markets
- Light Soy Sauce: Instead of hunting down vegan fish sauce, we will be using more light soy sauce since fish sauce is off the menu. If gluten-free, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Alternatively, you can also use Sweet Soy Sauce (Kicap Manis) but, if so, please reduce the amount of sugar added.
- Brown Sugar: Palm Sugar is traditional but it comes in blocks which is a pain to grate into smaller pieces. If you are in a hurry, use brown sugar or white sugar. Remember to get bone-char free sugar if vegan.
Note: You can add some tofu too. Use firm tofu, not silken tofu or you'll have scrambled rice, not fried rice! If using, pan-fry the tofu right after sautéing the garlic-chili paste, and before adding the veggies.
📖 Variations & Substitutes
- Khao Pad Goong: If not vegetarian, you can make your fried rice fancier by adding shrimp. The sauce is similar to the one in this recipe but not identical, as I used more sauces to boost the flavor here, to compensate for omitting the fish sauce and other non-vegetarian ingredients.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
If you don't have leftover rice: you will need to cook it from scratch. Wash the rice 2-3 times, till the water runs clear then cook as per normal, but add slightly less water.
1a. Pound the garlic cloves and chilies into a paste. (Thai people sometimes add some salt to help loosen the garlic- if you do so, please remember to reduce the amount of light soy sauce added later.)
1b. In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar till well-combined.
1c. If using, fry the sliced shallots till crispy then plate.
2a. In the same pan, adding more oil if necessary, quickly stir fry the garlic-chili paste. Ideally, do this over high heat, but if not confident, medium high heat works too.
Note: Be quick as garlic burns easily. In addition, be prepared for the fumes as sautéing chilies can make you cough and choke! Make sure your hood is on!
3. Once fragrant, add the carrots and peas to the pan and stir-fry till cooked but not mushy.
4. Add the rice.
5. Add the sauces then quickly stir-fry till well-combined.
Note: If using leftover rice, it may have clumps so break that down and stir-fry till all the rice is thoroughly warmed up.
6a. Stir in the Thai Basil- we only want to wilt it not to cook it into oblivion!
6b. Garnish with sliced spring onions or cilantro leaves and, if you enjoy spicy food, some sliced chilies. Serve with a lime wedge- a squeeze of lime will make it even tastier!
🥡 How to Store
If using leftover rice, I do not recommend keeping the fried rice again.
If made with fresh rice, follow rice safety guidelines and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Tip #1: Use a large wok or large skillet. It's much easier to mix the sauce and ingredients well if you don't have to worry about pushing the rice out of the pan!
Tip #2: Do not skimp on the oil!
Tip #3: You can also add some baked cashew nuts for some crunch!
💭 Recipe FAQs
You can put the rice in a bowl to get the round shape then empty it onto a plate!
🥗 Other Thai Recipes
Enjoyed this easy Thai Fried Rice Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this vegetarian Thai dish, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
Thai Basil Fried Rice (Vegetarian) (20 min)
Equipment
- mortar and pestle Blender or knife and cutting board
- Large skillet or wok
Ingredients
- 1 Cup uncooked jasmine rice Not everyone has leftover rice on hand so I'm giving the measurement for uncooked rice. If using cooked rice, use 3-4 Cups. Substitute: basmati, brown or cauliflower rice
- 8 cloves fresh garlic Pound with red chilies.
- 8 Thai red chilies If you can't take spicy food, use fewer chilies or larger chilies which are less spicy. You will need to reduce the sugar to balance the flavor.
- For the sauces
- 3 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce Substitute: Sweet Soy Sauce (Kick Manis) but reduce the amount of sugar added.
- 1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce if GF: tamari or coconut aminos. This is a very savory sauce. If you don't like your food too flavorful, use low-sodium soy sauce or add teaspoon by teaspoon, to taste.
- 2 teaspoon Brown Sugar Palm Sugar is traditional but it comes in blocks which is a pain to grate into smaller pieces. Substitute: white sugar. Use bone char free if vegan.
Other Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil neutral vegetable oil such as palm oil. Do not use olive oil if you want the recipe to taste authentically Thai.
- 4 Shallots Optional but I find they add a great texture to the fried rice! If you've no time to slice and crisp them up, simply smash them together with the garlic and chilies, and saute together. Substitute: ½ red onion
- chili-garlic paste that you pounded or minced above
- 1⅓ Cup frozen pea and carrot mix Substitute: Carrot, pea and corn mix or 1-2 red or orange bell peppers, depending on size. If you use mushrooms as a substitute, it will increase the cooking them as they will release a lot of water which you will need to cook off.
- 1 Cup fresh Thai basil You can get it at the Asian grocery store or grow it yourself with ClickandGrow. Substitute: Holy Basil in a pinch. Not to Italian Basil.
Garnishes
- 1½ Lime Cut into wedges and squeezed over rice. Highly recommended
- Cilantro, spring onions and more red chilies
Instructions
- If you don't have leftover rice: you will need to cook it from scratch. Wash the rice 2-3 times, till the water runs clear then cook as per normal, but add slightly less water.
- Once the rice is cooked, allow it to cool slightly. Pound the garlic cloves and chilies into a paste. Note: Thai people sometimes add some salt to help loosen the garlic- if you do so, please remember to reduce the amount of light soy sauce added later.
- In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar till well-combined.
- Optional: if using, fry the sliced shallots till fragrant.
- In the same pan, adding more oil if necessary, quickly stir fry the garlic-chili paste. Ideally, do this over high heat, but if not confident, medium high heat works too.Note: Be quick as garlic burns easily. In addition, be prepared for the fumes as sautéing chilies can make you cough and choke! Make sure your hood is on!
- Once fragrant, add the frozen vegetables (or vegetables of choice) to the pan and stir-fry till cooked but not mushy.
- Add the rice, followed by the sauces then quickly stir-fry till well-combined. Note: If using leftover rice, it may have clumps so break that down and stir-fry till all the rice is thoroughly warmed up.
- Quickly stir in the Thai Basil- we only want to wilt it not to cook it into oblivion!
- Garnish with sliced spring onions or cilantro leaves and, if you enjoy spicy food, some sliced chilies.
- Serve with a lime wedge- a squeeze of lime will make it even tastier!
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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