Com chien mam ruoc fills the whole kitchen with its smell, and with sour green mango on the side the plate empties fast. The balance is everything: too heavy a hand with the shrimp paste and it catches at the back of the throat.
Once the shrimp paste mixture is fried, it goes into a jar with 3 tablespoons pork fat poured over the top and stirred through. What is left keeps in the fridge and fries just as well the next day. Day old rice has separate grains and will not go soggy in the pan, and the pan has to be properly hot before the rice goes in.
This batch weighs about 782g, at roughly 202 calories per 100g.
Method
In a bowl combine 4 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 5 chopped green bird's eye chilies, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 5 tablespoons mam ruoc, and mix well.
Set a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Once hot, fry 1 teaspoon minced shallot, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced galangal and 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass until fragrant.
When the shallot and garlic turn golden and fragrant, add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, stir gently and turn off the heat, then add the shrimp paste mixture and stir until everything comes together.
Transfer the shrimp paste to a jar, pour 3 tablespoons pork fat over the top and stir it through.
Set a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons pork fat. Once hot, add 2 bowls cold cooked rice and fry for about 2 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of the fried shrimp paste.
Toss well and keep frying over medium heat, taste and adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat.
Spoon the rice into a bowl, press it down and turn it out onto a plate. Serve with cucumber, shredded omelette, sour green mango, shallot and chili.
Tips
Day old rice has separate grains and fries without going soggy.
Any leftover fried mam ruoc (fermented shrimp paste), sealed under a layer of pork fat in the fridge, keeps for 2 weeks.
Three tablespoons of the fried paste per 2 bowls of rice is enough, as more turns it harshly salty and claggy.
Cucumber and sour green mango on the side balance the saltiness of the mam ruoc.
Rice pressed firmly into a bowl and turned out onto a plate makes a much neater presentation.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.