Thai fried egg salad (yum khai dao)
Whole eggs fried in smoking hot oil until the edges of the whites are browned and crisp are served with a sweet, tangy and salty dressing with slices of chilies, lemongrass, shallot and cilantro.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 stalks lemongrass white portion only
- 2 to 3 Thai chilies we used green and red
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced cilantro
Eggs
- cooking oil
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Peel the outer layers of the lemongrass stalks until only the soft interior is left. Slice into thin rings.
- Cut the chilies into thin rings as well.
- Peel the shallot and thinly slice.
- Measure the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce into a bowl.
- Whisk until the palm sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the lemongrass, chili, shallot and cilantro, and whisk lightly.
- Set the dressing aside.
Fry the eggs
- Pour enough cooking oil into a frying pan to reach a depth of one inch.
- Heat the oil until fine wisps of smoke are visible on the surface.
- Crack an egg into a bowl then pour into the hot oil (it will spatter).
- Cook until the edges of the egg white are browned and crisp.
- With a slotted spatula, lift the egg and move to a plate.
- Fry the remaining eggs.
Serve your yam khai dao
- Arrange the eggs on a plate.
- Spoon the dressing over them and serve.
