Spring fried rice

Tamara West

Monday night greens Thai style.

Spice paste

1 long	Green chilli, sliced
5 cm	Lemongrass, use the base-end, sliced
3	Kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
5 cm	Fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves	Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp	Palm sugar, shaved
2 tsp	Fish sauce

Fried rice

1 Tbsp	Rice bran oil, or vegetable oil
1	Egg, beaten with a fork
2 cups	Jasmine rice, precooked and cold (Main)
¼ cup	Peas
8	Asparagus spears, trimmed and cut in 4cm pieces
12	Snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
6	Baby pak choy, rinsed and cut in half
2 tsp	Soy sauce
¼ cup	Thai basil leaves

Directions

1. Place chilli, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, garlic and palm sugar in a mortar and start pounding with pestle. As ingredients start to break down, add some of the fish sauce and pound to a paste. Stir in remaining fish sauce.
2. Heat wok over high heat until very hot. Add the oil, swirl it around then add the spice paste and stir fry 30 seconds. Tip egg into wok and allow to cook about 30 seconds until it puffs up a little at the edges. Tip rice into egg and stir-fry to mix thoroughly.
3. Add peas and asparagus to wok and stir-fry another minute. Add snowpeas and pak choy next and cook for another minute or two, stirring occasionally. Finally add soy sauce and basil, toss everything together and cook 30 seconds before serving in warmed bowls.