Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare rice according to package directions.
In a wok (if available) or large pan, heat oil over high heat. Add ginger and garlic until lightly browned for 1 minute. Remove from pan.
Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, green peppers, mushrooms and pineapples and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from pan.
Add rice, make a well in the center and pour in the eggs. Cook eggs for 2 minutes, then mix into rice.
Add back all cooked ingredients, as well as chili paste, fish sauce and fresh lime juice. Remove pan from the heat.
Serve in a bowl and top with chopped cilantro.
Cooking with Fish Sauce
Very few ingredients are capable of bringing instant show stopping flavor to a dish like fish sauce can: it's a combination of sweet, salty and briny all in one bottle. The flavor of fish sauce comes from fermenting fish for anywhere from a couple months to a couple of years.
The sauce is normally associated with Asian cooking and it provides the driving flavor in dishes like pad Thai. It is a useful sauce for marinades, stir-fries, and some salad dressings. Be careful with how much you add because a little can go a long way.
Fish Sauce Substitutes
If you do not have fish sauce in your cupboards, do not worry. There are several different options to use as as a substitutes:
- Soy Sauce
- Tamari
- Oyster Sauce
- Seaweed
- Mushroom and Soy Sauce Broth
Cooking with Ginger
Ginger offers dishes a hint of fresh spice that goes well with warm aromatic spices like cumin and cinnamon. There are different forms of ginger that you can use in your cooking. While this recipe calls for ground ginger, a powdered spice, you can replace it by using fresh ginger. You will have to use 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger for every ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, as the powdered form is more concentrated.
Preparing Fresh Ginger
Fresh ginger is a versatile ingredient that can be used in dishes, drinks, desserts, and even as a medicine. If you are just beginning to cook at home, this root may look intimidating at first. Its skin is very fine and can be difficult to peel, but if you are finely chopping your ginger to mix in with other ingredients, you can leave the skin on.
When to Peel Ginger
You only need to peel ginger if the skin does not look fresh, if you are using the ginger for aesthetic purposes, or dicing it into large chunks. To peel, you can use a potato peeler, or opt for the spoon method. Simply use the edge of a spoon to scrape the skin of the ginger in downward strokes. This will delicately remove the skin without taking too much of the ginger with it!
