Khao Tom Haeng
ข้าวต้มแห้ง·(khao tom haeng)
The Rice Cooker Savior: Thai Office Lunches & Hacks
If you grew up in a Thai-American household, the bubbling of rice soup meant a rainy weekend or a sick day. But its brilliant, chaotic cousin from the street stalls of Phuket is pure, unfiltered comfort you can actually pull off on a Tuesday. By leaving the broth on the side, the rice stays perfectly chewy, soaking up golden garlic oil while deeply caramelized pork anchors the bowl. We bypass the hours of simmering bones by drafting your rice cooker to infuse jasmine rice with pork broth, finishing it all with a fermented soybean sauce that cuts right through the richness and tastes exactly like the motherland.
Before you start
Wash the jasmine rice thoroughly before cooking.
Rinsing away the excess surface starch is crucial here so the grains remain distinct and chewy rather than turning into a soggy porridge inside the rice cooker.
Ingredients
- Thai Jasmine rice2 cup
- water4 cup
- Knorr pork bouillon cube1
- garlic2 clove
- fresh cilantro stems3
- ground white pepper1/2 tsp
- neutral oil1/3 cup
- garlic1 large head
- ground pork1 lb
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- dark sweet soy sauce1 tsp
- sugar1 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- fermented soybean paste3 tbsp
- fresh ginger1 tbsp
- garlic2 clove
- fresh lime juice2 tbsp
- sugar1 tbsp
- dark sweet soy sauce1 tsp
- Thai bird's eye chilies3
- scallions2
- fresh cilantro leaves1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Boil the aromatics and bouillon to create a quick, intensely savory broth.
In a medium pot, bring the 4 cups of water to a boil and drop in the pork bouillon cube, smashed garlic cloves, cilantro stems, and half a teaspoon of white pepper, letting it simmer for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- 02
Draft your rice cooker to infuse the rice with half of the hot pork broth.
Pour exactly 2 cups of the hot broth into your rice cooker with the rinsed Jasmine rice and press start, leaving the remaining 2 cups of broth on the stove over its lowest heat to serve as your side soup.
- 03
Render the golden garlic oil to build the aromatic soul of the dish.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, gently fry the minced head of garlic in the neutral oil for 3 to 5 minutes until it turns a pale, golden blonde, then immediately transfer the garlic and oil to a heat-proof bowl to prevent burning.
- 04
Caramelize the ground pork in its own fat to mimic long-braised flavor.
Return the unwashed skillet to medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of your fresh garlic oil, and drop in the ground pork. Break it up with a spatula, stir in the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, one teaspoon of dark sweet soy sauce, one teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of white pepper, frying aggressively until the liquids evaporate and the pork becomes sticky and browned.
- 05
Mix the fermented soybean dipping sauce to cut through the heavy richness.
In a small bowl, stir together the fermented soybean paste, minced ginger, minced garlic, lime juice, one tablespoon of sugar, one teaspoon of dark sweet soy sauce, and the chopped chilies until the sugar dissolves into a punchy, zesty sauce.
- 06
Assemble the dry bowls and serve the reserved soup on the side.
Fluff the finished rice and divide it into deep bowls, topping heavily with the caramelized pork, a generous spoonful of the crispy garlic oil, and the scallions and cilantro. Serve with the hot broth on the side, drizzling the soybean sauce over the rice and alternating bites with sips of the clear soup.
Notes
Do not substitute standard miso for the fermented soybean paste.
Miso lacks the whole-bean texture and the precise salty, sharp funk required for the Nam Jim Tao Jiao dipping sauce; look for Healthy Boy brand yellow or brown label in the Asian market.
Pull the garlic off the heat before it looks completely done.
Garlic burns in a heartbeat and turns terribly bitter. It will continue to cook and darken in the residual heat of the hot oil once you transfer it to the bowl.
From Cook Thai in America.