
On this edition of the Rice Is Life series: Tom Yum Fried Rice.
Southeast Asia is a treasure trove when it comes to delectable cuisines, with a variety of different dishes that is distinct to its region. Today, we’re focusing on a dish influenced from Thailand.
I absolutely love Thai food. Growing up in Malaysia, I was lucky to be able to visit Thailand a few times and experience their food and culture. And there is also no shortage of authentic Thai restaurants to try out in Malaysia.
A dish that I consider as the holy grail of soups from Thailand is Tom Yum. It’s a hot, tangy, and spicy indulgence that gives me a warm feeling every time I have it.
HOT, TANGY AND SPICY
A great Tom Yum-inspired twist is to incorporate this incredible savory taste into Tom Yum Fried Rice. That being said, I was able to pick up an easy recipe for this sinful fried rice across the years.
Give this a try and let me know how it goes!
RECIPE

Tom Yum Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup carrots (or your choice of veggie)
- 1/4 cup mushrooms (or your choice of veggie)
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 1 lemongrass
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 lb chicken breast/thigh (cut into bite sized or choice of protein)
- 2 cups rice
- 1.5 tbsp tom yum paste
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Clean and cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and prep the veggies.
- Remove the outer layer of lemon grass. Cut it into half and cut off the end. You can discard the upper part. Slice the lemon grass into small pieces.
- Heat up oil in a medium sized pan.
- Add the onion, garlic, and lemongrass. Fry until fragrant or about a minute/two.
- Optional: Remove the lemongrass.
- Add the chicken and cook until it’s almost cooked.
- Add the veggies and lightly fry for a few more minutes.
- Once the veggies are almost cooked, add the tom yum paste and mix well for one or two minutes.
- Add rice and season with sugar.
- Stir the mixture in the pan together and mix well.
- Serve while hot and enjoy!
What could I use in place of Tom yum paste or sauce due to shrimp allergy? Thank you.
Unfortunately because Tom Yum paste is a the main ingredient for this dish, there wouldn’t be a substitute for this. There are some Tom Yum paste that doesn’t have shrimp. Alternatively, you can also make your own Tom Yum paste and omit the shrimp 🙂