This tom yum fried rice is packed full of flavors and utterly delicious ! Super easy to make, happens to be vegan & can be made gluten-free. Ready in 20 minutes and only requires a few simple ingredients.
Ever wonder what you can do with tom yum paste ? Well, I am here to tell you that they work really well in fried rice ! This super quick and easy to make tom yum fried rice is the perfect quick meal to have on busy weeknights.
Like my green curry fried rice and broccoli rice casserole, this vegan fried rice is a really great way to use up leftover cooked rice ! But if you do not have any on hand, no worries as instructions on using freshly cooked rice will also be provided below. 😉
🧄What you will need
📓Notes / Substitutions
- Gluten-free - use gluten-free soy sauce or replace it with equal amounts of tamari.
- Oil-free - by using ¼ cup of water or broth to saute instead of oil.
- Tom Yum paste - Do use vegan tom yum paste to make this vegan.
- Rice - Both cooked brown or white rice can be used in this recipe. It is not recommended to use short grain rice as they tends to be sticky and will clump together.
- Thai red chili - If you are sensitive to heat, omit Thai red chili.
🔪How to make
Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium high heat. Start by sauteing garlic, chili and kaffir lime leaves for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Next, stir in tom yum paste and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
Add in the carrot next. Cook until they have slightly softened, for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Then , add in rice, peas and soy sauce. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until everything is thoroughly heated.
Stir in chopped green onions and enjoy !
✔Helpful tips
- Use day-old refrigerated rice, if possible. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a large plate and let it cool down completely before using to prevent your tom yum fried rice from turning mushy.
- Do not use short grain rice like sushi rice or glutinous rice. They tend to clump and stick together more easily, causing your fried rice to be mushy.
- Use a large enough pan or wok. This helps prevent ingredients from leaping out during cooking, and also help ensure that all ingredients are evenly cooked.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time and keep them near you during cooking. Frying rice is a fairly quick process.
- Go light on liquid seasonings. If you find that your fried rice is not salty enough, add some salt instead of adding more soy sauce.
✨Variations/add-ins
Veggies - Feel free to substitute or add-in other kinds of veggies you have on hand. Some vegetables that works well includes broccoli florets, snap peas, corn kernels or even frozen veggie mix.
Rice - Rice of any kinds will work in this recipe. You can also use other kinds of grains like quinoa. For a lower carb version, use cauliflower or broccoli rice instead.
Protein - You can add in some sort of protein like baked tofu or tempeh cubes, slices of seitan chicken, or even chopped up vegan Italian sausages or andouille sausages.
🍽How to serve
Although this tom yum fried rice is pretty filling on its own, you can also pair it with something else to make it a heartier meal.
- Side dishes - Dishes like sambal tempeh, orange tofu and Korean gochujang tofu will pair beautifully with fried rice. Or, you can make some vegan dumplings if you have extra time on hand.
- Mains - Go all out and make other complimentary mains like Thai red curry, tofu chop suey or seitan stir-fry.
- Toppings - Chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds and fried scallions gives the fried rice some extra flavor and texture.
❄Storing leftovers
Although this fried rice is best eaten fresh, leftover can be refrigerated in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days.
You can either reheat it on stove in a pan for a few minutes, or in the microwave at 15 seconds interval. You might have to add in a splash of water when reheating.
❔Commonly asked questions
If you really can't find tom yum paste, the next best alternative is red curry paste. You might want to add some lime or lemon juice to give it that distinctive zing that most tom yum paste have.
Please take note that most tom yum paste are not vegan, as shrimp paste and/or fish sauce are oftentimes added. Do turn and read the ingredient label to ensure that it does not contain any animal products.
If you cant find any in store, you can try getting them off online retailers like Amazon ( Love this Mekhala brand ones ).
The best solution to keep your fried rice from clumping together is to use day old leftover steamed rice. Excess moisture in rice will dry up after sitting in the fridge for a while, yielding firmer rice that can be separated from each other easily.
Other than that, make sure that medium grain or long grain rice are used as opposed to short grain rice. Short grain rice are more sticky and mushy in nature, which makes them unsuitable for making fried rice, unless you like clumpy fried rice !
Most sturdier veggies like corn kernels, bell peppers, onions, zucchini and shredded cabbage works well in this tom yum fried rice. Frozen vegetable mix can also be used to make this dish quicker and easier. Greens, although uncommon, can also be added to it.
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Tom Yum Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 kaffir lime leaves roughly chopped
- 2 Thai red chili sliced
- 1 tablespoon tom yum paste
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 cup cooked brown / white rice ( refrigerated overnight ) *
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
- lime juice to serve
Instructions
- Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium high heat. Start by sauteing garlic, chili and kaffir lime leaves for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 2 Thai red chili, 2 kaffir lime leaves
- Next, stir in tom yum paste and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.1 tablespoon tom yum paste
- Add in the carrot next. Cook until they have slightly softened, for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.1 medium carrot
- Now, add in rice, peas and soy sauce. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until everything is thoroughly heated. Give it a taste and add more soy sauce, if needed.2 cup cooked brown / white rice, ½ cup frozen green peas, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Stir in chopped green onions, squeeze in some lime juice and enjoy !1 stalk green onion, lime juice
Notes
- Use a large enough pan or wok. This helps prevent ingredients from leaping out during cooking, and also help ensure that all ingredients are evenly cooked.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time and keep them near you during cooking. Frying rice is a fairly quick process.
- Go light on liquid seasonings. If you find that your fried rice is not salty enough, add some salt instead of adding more soy sauce.
Join the discussion !