Tomyam Fried Rice and My Lucky Streak....

Last week I finally went to consult a doctor to get my back fixed. I was diagnosed with a slipped disc. The good doctor performed a few tests, did an x-ray and prescribed me with anti-inflammatory drugs and a session of physiotherapy. I am happy to say that I am recovering very well and I am back in action (albeit in slow motion). Many thanks to my mum for her prayers, my partner for his love and support and all of you for your get well wishes.

Recently I have been experiencing a bit of good luck (except for the slipped disc hah! hah!). In April 2013, I won Shannon's Sunkist Kitchen Goodies Giveaway and again in June 2013 I was one of the lucky winners of Shannon's Nourish Magazine Giveaway. And when I went back to work on 3 September 2013 (7th day of my backache), this was sitting on my office table :

It was Yen's Worldfoods Giveaway. Actually I won because the winner did not claim her prize and Yen did a re-draw and lucky me was picked :) Inside the package was a bottle each of Worldfoods Tom Yum Paste, Indian Tikka Masala Stir-Fry Sauce, Thai Green Curry Paste and Thai Sweet Chilli With Kaffir Lime Dipping/Stir Fry Sauce.

Not only that, there was also a beautiful black apron, a recipe note book and a recipe card. All that certainly cheered me up a lot as I was quite miserable coping with the backache. Thank you, Yen! And thank you Worldfoods!

Now that I am feeling a whole lot better, I have decided to try the Tom Yum Paste first. Oh no, the Worldfoods products are not going to sit pretty on my pantry, I am putting them to good use! When I tasted a bit of the tom yum paste, initially it did not make an impression on me. It was quite mild and the saltiness was just nice. That gave me an indication that I needed to add cili padi to heat things up and I might not need to add anymore salt to my fried rice. 

When I sauteed the tom yum paste, the smell was wonderful. I am very pleased to say that the tom yum fried rice turned out very well. It was very tasty, thanks to the very flavorful and aromatic tom yum paste. Though not impressive right out of the bottle, sauteing the paste brought out all its goodness. For someone who is skeptical about ready made pastes and sauces, I will have to say that I would not have any reservations using ready made stuff once in a while. Good quality ingredients and a well balanced blend makes for a good spice paste.

And to up the ante, I poured some of the Worldfoods Thai Sweet Chilli with Kaffir Lime Sauce on my fried rice (this was in addition to my two cili padi) and oh, very nice! This sauce is very mild on the hotness scale and I find the kaffir lime aroma quite mild too. But I think this is a good move by the manufactures because the consumer would then be able to make their own adjustments by adding more chilli and fresh kaffir lime leaves to enhance the flavors. Not everyone can withstand too much heat and some people may find the smell of kaffir lime too strong.

I really enjoyed my fried rice and I can't wait to try the other sauces soon.

Tom Yum Fried Rice
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 3 cups overnight cooked rice
- 2 cups long beans, cut onto 1/2 inch length
- 1 big onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 strips chicken fillet, cut into cubes and marinated with 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 10 prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Worldfoods Tom Yum Paste (or more!)
- A handful of coriander leaves
- 4 young kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- Fish sauce to taste
- Cooking oil

Method :
1. Heat oil in wok and saute onions until wilted.
2. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant.
3. Add tom yum paste and saute until aromatic.
4. Add chicken fillet, fry until cooked followed by the prawns. If ingredients appear dry, sprinkle some water into the wok.
5. When prawn change color, add the long beans and fry until they are tender but still crisp.
6. Add rice and stir to coat evenly with the tom yum paste and other ingredients. Taste and add fish sauce if necessary.
7. Lastly, add the coriander leaves and young kaffir limes leaves, toss and serve.

Note : I served with cili padi on the side and Worldfoods Thai Sweet Chilli with Kaffir Lime Sauce.