Khao Kluk Kapi

[Chopstix]

Here you go Urmaniac!

This dish represents the quintessential Thai cuisine in that it yields a perfect balance of the following flavors: salty, sour, sweet, spicy, herby.

Also if you're really stumped for ingredients, here are possible subsitutions you can try (just my own recommendations, I've never tried these:)

Shrimp paste = anchovy paste
Crunchy dried shrimps = dried fish fried to crunchy or use broken up prawn crackers or pork rind cracklings or just omit altogether
Green mango = any other fruit that's firm and sour, or omit and use lime juice instead
Lime= lemon
Fish sauce = soy sauce
Cilantro : cuccumber but only if you're desperate
Bird's eye chili = Chili powder


Recipe for Khao Kluk Kapi (Fried Rice in Shrimp Paste)

Ingredients:

4 T shrimp paste
1 T minced garlic
6-8 Cups cooked long-grain rice
¼ Cup shallots, diced
1 Cup shrimps, peeled and deveined
1 T lime juice

For the Sweet Pork:

300 g pork belly or loin, ½ in cubes
¼ Cup sugar
¼ Cup fish sauce
¼ Cup shallots, sliced finely
Pinch ground pepper

Condiments:

1 Cup green unripe (sour) mango, peeled and cut into fine strips or slivers
½ Cup shallots, finely sliced
¼ Cup dried shrimps (deep fried to crunchy)
¼ Cup bird’s eye chili, chopped finely
3 eggs, scramble and cook in saute pan. Roll up and slice into strips.
½ C cilantro leaves

Procedure:

1. Prep all the above condiments first..
2. For Sweet Pork: In a sauce pan, place pork, sugar and fish sauce. Allow to boil at high heat then lower heat to medium. Add shallots and pepper. Cook until pork is cooked and sauce has thickened into syrupy glaze.
3. For Fried Rice: Saute garlic and shallots in oil till light golden. Add shrimps and cook until pink. Add rice and mix well. Add lime juice. Fill a cup with fried rice and invert into center of platter.
4. Arrange sweet pork and all condiments decoratively in individual mounds around the rice. arnish with lime wedges.
5. To serve: Either mix everything well in the platter first or let people pick and choose then mix in their own plates.

[Shunka]

This reminds me of something my late FIL used to make. He grew up on Sumatra and cooked many Indonesian dishes. BTW, thank you for posting your recipe!!! Looks great!!

[DaCook]

Thanks for that Chopstix!

[urmaniac13]

Awww, Chops, how I missed this!! Thanks so much!! We live near an exotic quarter with shops which sell lots of ethnic, unusual items with reasonable costs, I think I have seen most of the ingredients, except for the shrimp paste. I have also seen the crunchy dried shrimp in the market at a stall run by some african folks, we were interested and wondering what we could do with them... now we have the answer! We would definetely try this when we get a chance. Thanks again!!

[Chopstix]

Good luck Urmaniac! Tell me about it when you do! If you can't find shrimp paste, just use anchovy paste. Also, don't forget to deep fry the dried shrimps to crunchy.

[urmaniac13]

Chops, I finally tried this, though it was slightly modified, it came out absolutely delicious, we loved it!!
The only thing we couldn't find was the shrimp paste, and I really don't care for anchovy paste, therefore I tried the oyster sauce instead (I have used it before for stir fries etc. and liked it). I am not sure if that would have changed the flavour too drastically, but to us it worked very well and gave a nice flavour.
And we just used a left over pork roast, coated with some ginger/brown sugar/indonesian soy sauce mix and re-sauteed, it was very good but the next time I will try to prepare it properly.
I really hope that anyone who tries this recipe can find those crunchy dried shrimps, though I imagine it is rather rare (we found them at a stall ran by north-western africans in the market)... it definitely give a wonderful, distinct flavour.

Thanks again Chops, it was a big hit, we sure will do this again, and again!!

[Chopstix]

That's wonderful Licia! Yes, the oyster sauce would be a good replacement if you don't like shrimpy fishy smells. I'm very happy that it was a big hit! Thank you for trying this. Btw, sprinkling lime juice over the whole rice mix before eating would improve the flavor and cut down any shrimpy fishy smells too. I think now you're ready for Mieng Kham