Fried Eggs with Tamarind Sauce is a beloved dish among young kids in Thailand due to its unique and delicious blend of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, coupled with an unusual texture. Typically served with steamed rice, this dish is often enjoyed with spicy side dishes to balance out the sweetness and sourness of the homemade tamarind sauce. Street food curry rice shops in Thailand commonly offer this dish, making it easily accessible.
Locally known as "Kai Look Keuy" or Thai son-in-law eggs, this dish is made by deep-frying soft-boiled eggs to achieve a chewy texture, which is complemented by the crunchiness of fried shallots. The eggs are then coated with the homemade tamarind sauce, which adds a sweet and sour flavor. For those who desire a bit of heat, fried chili pepper is usually served on the side.
This classic Thai dish can be made at home as an appetizer or served with steamed rice, just as Thai people do. The recipe for the homemade sweet and sour tamarind sauce involves soaking fresh tamarind in hot water, squeezing it through a sifter to separate the seeds and fibers, and using the resulting paste for the sauce. However, tamarind paste can also be bought from Asian grocery stores if fresh tamarind is unavailable. Give this quick and easy recipe a try!
Tips:Remember, cooking is all about personal preference, so feel free to adjust the taste of the tamarind sauce to suit your taste buds. I suggest adding the ingredients gradually, starting with palm sugar, as sometimes the tamarind can be quite sour. So if you find that the sauce is too tangy, just add more palm sugar until it reaches your desired level of sweetness. And don't worry if you're not a fan of fish sauce - you can always substitute it with a bit of salt instead. So just have fun with it and experiment until you find the perfect balance of flavors that works for you!
To make this recipe, you are going to need:
- 5 soft boiled eggs
- 4 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 6 tablespoonpalm sugar ( 75 g.)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 4 head shallot for fried shallot, thinly sliced
- 4-5 dried chili pepper ( optional )
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Authentic Thai Fried Eggs with Tamarind Sauce (Kai Look Keuy or Son-in-Law Eggs) Recipe
1 Gather all the necessary ingredients.
2 Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, then peel them and pat them dry with a kitchen paper towel. It is important to ensure that your boiled eggs are dry before frying them.
3 Add enough cooking oil to your pan to fill it about halfway up the eggs, and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and ready, carefully drop your boiled egg into the pan to fry them.
4 When one side of the boiled eggs is starting to turn brown, flip them over to the other side and allow them to fry until they are brown all over. Note that if you are using a small amount of cooking oil, it may take longer for the boiled eggs to brown.
5 Thinly slice some shallots and fry them in the same cooking oil that you used to fry the boiled eggs. Slowly stir the shallots until they turn brown. Remove the fried shallots from the pan and drain the excess oil. Allow them to cool to room temperature to achieve a crunchy texture.
6 After removing the fried shallots, turn off the heat and add the dried chilies to the same oil. Stir them for about 30 seconds and then remove them from the oil.
7 To make homemade tamarind sauce, use a small pot or saucepan with low heat. Add tamarind paste and water, and stir them together.
8 Add palm sugar and stir until it dissolves completely, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
9 Add the fish sauce and stir the mixture well, making sure all the ingredients are well combined. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning according to your preference, adding more fish sauce if needed for saltiness or more palm sugar if it's too sour. Remember to taste the sauce as you go along and adjust it accordingly.
10 Slice the fried eggs in half and place them on the serving plate.
11 Sprinkle the fried eggs with crispy shallots and dried chili flakes, and drizzle them with the homemade sweet and sour sauce. They are best served with steamed rice or as a side dish. Enjoy!
Other Thai Recipes You Might Like
Here are some of my favorite Thai that I think you might like. For more Thai cuisine, check out my Thai recipe page.
- Thai Street-Style Sweet and Savory Pancake Rolls (Khanom Tokyo)Recipe
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- Authentic Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) Recipe in 5 Easy Steps
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