Thai Fried Rice with Shrimp

Stir all 'stir fry sauce' ingredients together in a cup until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in 1-2 Tbsp. oil, then add garlic and chili. Stir-fry 30 seconds to release the fragrance, then add shrimp. Stir-fry until shrimp turn pink and plump (2-3 minutes). If needed, add a little more oil or 1 tsp. water to keep ingredients moist and sizzling.

Add carrot and fresh coriander and continue stir-frying 1-2 more minutes.

Add rice and drizzle the stir-fry sauce over. Use a large flat utensil or spoon, use a scooping motion to fry rice 2-3 minutes, or until sauce is well distributed.

Push rice aside to clear a space in the middle of your pan. Add 1-2 tsp. more oil, then crack in the egg. Quickly scramble egg, gradually combining it with surrounding rice.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle over white pepper and stir in the green onion. Taste-test the dish for salt balance. At this point I usually add 2-4 tsp. more fish sauce, as I like mine on the flavorful/salty side, but this also depends on how much rice you're making. If you happen to find it too salty, squeeze over some lime or lemon juice. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Optional Garnish: Add cucumber slices to each plate of Thai fried rice, plus a little chili sauce on the side for those who like it spicy.

If Your Rice is Older Than 1 Day... and has formed into clumps in the refrigerator, pour a little vegetable oil onto your fingers and work through to separate the clumps back into grains. This trick works great for fried rice!