Ever looked at a bowl of plain leftover rice and felt completely uninspired?

Well here’s some inspiration for you; in less than 15 minutes and with very little effort, plain boiled rice can be transformed into a deliciously fragrant and fiery main dish.

I recommend using wild-caught Key West shrimp if you can find them – they’re so much nicer than the Indonesian farmed variety.

You’re supposed to use a wok for this but I make it in a deep sauté pan and it tastes every bit as Asian.

Shrimp Basil Fried Rice with Garlic & Chili

SHRIMP & BASIL FRIED RICE WITH GARLIC & CHILI

(Serve 4)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I recommend avocado or grape seed – they’re better for high temp cooking)

A pinch of salt

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 small serrano or red chilies, seeded and chopped

8 -10 oz (230-280g) of raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp

4 cups of cooked rice

2-3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 and a half tablespoons of Nam Pla (Thai fish sauce)

1/4 teaspoon of sugar

3 green (spring) onions – white and green parts, chopped

A good handful of basil (Thai basil if you can find it)

a couple of heaped tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaf)

Action:

Start by heating the pan or wok over a medium to high heat and once it’s  hot, add the oil, minced garlic and salt. Stir until the garlic is golden (about 30 seconds) then add the chopped chilies and shrimp and stir fry for another 30 seconds or thereabouts, until the shrimp just begins to turn pink.

Add the rice and continue to stir-fry for 2-3 minutes to heat it through, then add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Mix everything together thoroughly.

Finally, add the chopped green onions and basil leaves and stir-fry until the basil starts to wilt – about 30 seconds.

Tip the lot into a warmed serving dish and scatter with the chopped cilantro/coriander.

Eat immediately.