Salted fish fried rice is comfort food for many Thai people. Such simple ingredients: salted fish, Chinese broccoli, rice and eggs...yet the flavours are just so satisfying! In Thailand we buy salted fish already made, but in this recipe I also show you how to make your own, which requires very little effort and I can make is less salty than the commercially made one so I can put more fish in my fried rice!
*In my cookbook SABAI, since it is all about weeknight-friendly Thai cooking, I have a quick version of this recipe as well.
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Salted Fish Fried Rice in Thailand
In Thai, this dish is called khao pad kana pla kem ข้าวผัดคะน้าปลาเค็ม which literally means fried rice with Chinese broccoli (gai lan) and salted fish. The fish would normally be salt-cured king mackerel which is commonly available at any market.
It's a simple, rustic dish you can commonly find at food courts and some ahaan taam sung shops which are street-side restaurants that offer a variety of quick, wok-based dishes.
Fun fact: ahaan taam sung อาหารตามสั่ง means "food as you order," which conveys the idea that whatever you want, as long as they have ingredients and can be booked in the wok, they can make for you. Most commonly these are simple stir fries such as pad kra pao, fried rices and stir-fried noodles.
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Salted Fish Fried Rice ข้าวผัดคะน้าปลาเค็ม
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Salmon Curing Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
Description
A simple Thai fried rice that is surprisingly satisfying. The salt-cured salmon is very simple to make and adds salty, umami punch to this homey dish. Any leftover salmon can be added to salads, pasta, or another dish!
Ingredients
Salt-Cured Salmon
- 3 oz (100 g) piece salmon (this doesn't need to be precise, you will not need all of it)
- Sea salt, as needed
Fried rice
- 2 oz (60 g) cooked salt-cured salmon (instructions below)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 stalks (50 g) Chinese broccoli, thinly slice stems, roughly chop leaves
- 12 oz (350 g) cooked jasmine rice
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Chopped cilantro (optional)
- Lime wedges for serving
- Prik nam pla for serving, optional
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Instructions
To make the salt-cured fish:
Coat salmon on all sides with a layer of salt. You don't need to bury the salmon, but there should be a thick enough layer that the grains don't immediately disappear as you sprinkle them (see video for visual). L it sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours (2 hours for thinner pieces, 3 hours for thicker ones, or adjust the timing according to how salty you want the fish). Once it's done, rinse the fish then pat dry. The longer you let it cure the salty it will be, so don't forget about it!
To cook the fish, heat a generous amount of oil in a wok or a skillet over medium heat and fry the fish on both sides until golden and fully cooked. Do not be worried about overcooking the fish; we want it really thoroughly cooked.
Drain the fish on paper towel to absorb excess oil. The fish is now ready to be used. If not using immediately, store in the fridge. The fish will keep in the fridge for at least a week, and the saltier the fish, the longer it keeps.
To make the fried rice:
Chop the salted fish into small pieces. In a wok, add a little bit of oil and fry the salmon bits over medium high heat until well browned and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the fish and set aside.
To the same wok over medium high heat, add garlic and saute until it starts to turn golden. Add the eggs, break the yolk and let it set about half way, then scramble briefly. Add the Chinese broccoli and toss quickly just to coat it in oil.
Turn the heat up to high and add the rice, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper; toss until the rice is hot and all the grains are well separated, then toss in the salmon. Then spread the rice out and let it sit, undisturbed, for about 15-20 seconds so the rice can toast and brown slightly. Toss and repeat the toasting one or two more times. Remove from heat.
Plate the rice and top with chopped cilantro if desired, and serve with a wedge of lime. If you find it needs a little extra seasoning, sprinkle on a little prik nam pla. Enjoy!
Mats says
This a really easy and tasty fried rice!
Be careful with the salty salmon, don't take too much. I have a problem to get the salmon crispy though, any hints?
Next time I will try to cook on higher heat for second frying.
Calv says
how do you store extra salted fish on the fridge? leave it on a plate or put it in a container?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You can keep it in the fridge in a well sealed container and it'll last a few weeks. For long term storage you can freeze it.
Vince says
I’ve ordered some from a nearby restaurant. First time trying it.
1- the smell was overpowering. It did smell appetizing at all.
2- the taste wasn’t that bad. It was ok.
3- I searched through the rice looking for anything that resembled fish but I was unable. Wondering if any fish was included. Maybe they added only fish sauce and forgot the actual fish?
Jacqui says
Could I use tinned red salmon instead of salted salmon?
Robin says
Fish probably swam through it