Thai Basil Fried Rice
This delicious Thai basil fried rice tastes like takeout from your favorite Thai restaurant. It’s a quick and easy recipe, perfect for a busy weekday or a dinner date night. If you haven’t tried Thai basil before, now is the time! Be ready to impress your loved ones with this fantastic recipe.
The first time I had basil fried rice was in a fusion restaurant. The ingredients listed under the menu description were a great combination, so I ordered it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed with the result. But I knew that this dish has a lot of potential on its own. I started attempting my own version at home and, eight years later, I think I’ve finally found the right balance of spice, color, flavors and fragrance.
First, we will boil our rice and make our sauce. We’ll follow this up by sauteing some vegetables, and finish by tossing everything together. We will be using baked tofu, which can easily be found in local grocery stores. Or you can follow this recipe for easy baked tofu if you’d rather make it fresh, like myself. (It’s a very simple recipe that I make frequently and add to many different dishes.)
I highly recommend using Thai basil for this dish. Not only does it have a unique flavor, but it gives authenticity to the dish, honoring the spirit of Thai cuisine which has inspired so many of us. I certainly cannot imagine my life without Thai food. It adds natural and truly soul-comforting flavors to my life.
I encourage you to share your experience in the comments below if you tried this Thai Basil Fried Rice Recipe or made it differently. If you took a photo, please share with me on my instagram account ‘zesty_zahra’ and I will share your stories there. I am always happy to learn about people’s food choices and preferences!
Thai Basil Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water
- 1 cup Jasmine Rice washed
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- ½ cup Red Onion diced
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper medium-size, diced
- 8 oz Baked Tofu cubed
- ½ cup Thai Basil chopped
Sauce
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- ½ tsp Asian Chili Garlic Sauce increase to 1 tsp for medium, or 1½ tsp for hot
Instructions
- In a small deep pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Add rice and simmer over low-medium heat, until water dissolves. Remove from heat.
- Add all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium heat. Add oil and onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and bell pepper and continue sauteing for 1 additional minute.
- Reduce heat to low. Add baked tofu and cooked rice.
- Give a quick whisk to the pre-mixed sauce and add it to the pan. Mix everything together well.
- Cover with lid and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir-in fresh basil leaves then remove from heat.
- Serve hot.