Khao tom
Photo: Picklish at English Wikipedia · Public domain

History

Khao tom, rice boiled in broth, came to Phuket with its Chinese settlers and became an all-day comfort food. In Phuket Town family counters serve it from early morning, with fish, pork ribs or a Chinese brown soup of herbs, and some shops trace their recipes to roadside stalls run by an earlier generation. Boiled rice with fish, khao tom pla, is the version most associated with the town's older shophouse kitchens.

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Common allergens: Fish, Soy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g cooked jasmine rice
  • 1.5 litres light chicken or pork stock
  • 300g firm white fish fillet, sliced
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 3cm ginger, cut into fine strips
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced and fried in oil until golden
  • Spring onion and coriander, chopped

Method

  1. Bring the stock to a boil and add the cooked rice.
  2. Simmer 10 minutes until the grains swell and soften but stay whole.
  3. Season with fish sauce and white pepper.
  4. Add the fish and ginger and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the fish is just cooked.
  5. Ladle into bowls and top with fried garlic and its oil, spring onion and coriander.

Tip from the editors. Use rice cooked the day before; the grains stay separate in the broth instead of turning to porridge.

Where to eat khao tom

Khao tom in Phuket

Khao Tom Dibuk ★ 4.0

฿ Street foodOld Town

Khao Tom Dibuk ladles aromatic khao tom congee and a secret-recipe Chinese brown soup on Phang Nga Road in Phuket, a family Bib Gourmand with kaya sandwiches.

TryKhao tom (rice congee) with Chinese herbal brown soup

TipGo early; weekend specials add braised pork ribs and chicken with fermented soybeans to the congee menu.

Directions

Krua Kao Kuk ★ 3.9

฿฿ Southern ThaiPhuket Town

Krua Kao Kuk carries on a roadside-stall legacy on Phatthana Road in Phuket, its khao tom pla and deep-fried meatballs cooked to the family recipe.

TryKhao tom pla and deep-fried meatballs

TipOrder the boiled rice with fish and the deep-fried meatballs; the granddaughter still runs the kitchen.

Directions

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