Worldfoods Fusion of Flavours: Tom Yum Fried Rice with Oriental Mushrooms

Just to let you know, this post was written before I started the paleo diet to help ease my psoriasis. Nowadays I eat a more allergy-friendly diet, but leave these older, non-paleo posts up in case they are useful to readers, as I know not everyone eats the same as I do. Thanks for your understanding. 

The last time I used the Worldfoods jar of Tom Yum paste I made soup. This time of course, I wanted to try something different and so went with a fried rice dish. Because I remembered the Tom Yum soup as quite spicy, I made enough rice for myself, thinking that no one else would like it. But I was wrong. The result was actually quite mild and everyone delved in and loved it. If you like it spicier than this, just add 2 tablespoons of the Tom Yum paste.

For the rice, best results will be achieved with rice that’s been cooked, allowed to cool and been refrigerated – basically leftover rice. If you don’t have time to let it cool, then cook it, drain and then rinse with cold water from the tap. This will remove some of the excess starch and cool the rice quickly, making it easier to stir-fry so you don’t end up with a spicy but stodgy rice pudding in your wok.

According to the packet, the mushrooms I used were called Hon Shimeji mushrooms – they grow in clumps and have really long stalks and soft little white caps. But if you can’t get any exotic mushrooms just use sliced brown chestnut mushrooms instead.

 



Tom Yum Fried Rice with Oriental Mushrooms
Serves 2
Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 140g cooked, leftover rice
• 1-2 tablespoons of Worldfoods Tom Yum paste – more if you like it spicy
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 large spring onions, sliced into rounds
• 140g pack of exotic mushrooms picked from their base, or a handful or two of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• small handful of fresh coriander

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick wok or frying pan, and stir in the Tom Yum paste until it starts to sizzle a little and become aromatic.
2. Stir in the cooked, cooled rice and stir to coat in the red-flecked paste. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Push the rice to one side of the pan with a spoon or spatula and pour in the beaten eggs into the empty side and cook until the egg begins to form a mini omelette. Break this up with the spatula and stir through the rice.
4. Throw in the mushrooms and spring onions and toss together over the heat, until everything is heated through fully.
5. Serve straight away, with a scattering of coriander leaves for colour and flavour.

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