Fried Egg over Rice
Kai Dow
Deep-fried Thai-style egg with crispy edges, served over rice with chili fish sauce
- Prep
- 1 min
- Cook
- 3 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- medium
Frying an egg sounds too basic to need a recipe, but the Thai approach is distinct enough to be worth learning on purpose. The egg fries deep in oil rather than in a lightly greased pan, left alone on one side long enough to crisp and brown at the edges while the top stays a soft, uncooked sunny-side-up yolk. Served over rice with a simple sliced-chili fish sauce and crisp cucumber on the side, it's the kind of humble, everyday plate that shows up constantly in Thai homes, valued for how quickly it comes together.
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken eggs
- 4 cups Thai jasmine rice (cooked)
- 2 cups Vegetable oil (for frying)
- 10 Thai hot chilies (sliced thin)
- 1 cup Fish sauce
- 4 Cucumber (cut into wedges)
Directions
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Slide in an egg and let it float in the oil, nudging it gently so it doesn't stick.
- Fry on one side only for about 2 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the bottom — avoid splashing oil over the top so the yolk stays bright and uncooked.
- The finished egg should have crisp, browned edges with a sunny-side-up top. For a fully cooked egg, flip and brown the other side as well. Repeat for each egg, one at a time.
- Slice the chilies thin and stir into the fish sauce to make a simple dipping sauce (prik nam pla).
- Serve each fried egg over a portion of hot rice, with cucumber wedges arranged on the side.
- Serve with the chili fish sauce, or another favorite condiment, for drizzling over the egg.
Notes
Avoid splashing hot oil over the top of the egg while it fries — that's what keeps the yolk raw and bright yellow rather than clouding it over.
Substitutions
Spring onion or any other crisp raw vegetable can replace the cucumber as a side.