What is Cơm Chiên Tôm?
Cơm means rice, chiên fried and tôm shrimp. In northern Vietnam, people also call fried rice Cơm Rang. Fish sauce, Nước Mắm in Vietnamese, gives the rice its Vietnamese flavor. A well-known relative is Cơm Chiên Dương Châu in the Yangzhou style, with Chinese sausage and shrimp.
Rice with shrimp: the right ingredients
- Rice: Jasmine rice or another long-grain rice from the day before. For 600 g cooked rice you cook about 250 g raw. The method is at cooking jasmine rice.
- Shrimp: Raw, peeled shrimp in size 31/40 stay juicy when fried. Thaw frozen ones overnight in the fridge or for 10 minutes in cold water and pat them dry. Wet shrimp spatter and do not brown. Add pre-cooked shrimp only in the last step.
- Fish sauce: A light Vietnamese fish sauce from an Asian grocery store. It is strongly seasoned, and 1 tbsp is enough for 4 servings.
- Vegetables: Swap the carrot, bell pepper and peas for corn, green beans or leek, depending on the season.
How to make shrimp fried rice
Sear the shrimp briefly
Fry the shrimp over high heat until pink and take them out of the pan. That takes 1 to 2 minutes. They only come back with the sauce. If they stay in the pan the whole time, they turn tough and rubbery.
Cut the vegetables small
Cut the carrot and bell pepper into cubes of about 5 mm, the size of the peas. The cubes cook through in 5 minutes and spread evenly through the rice.
Fry the rice
Break up the cold rice with your hands first. Press it flat in the pan, leave it for 30 seconds and turn it. That gives the grains a toasted flavor. A 28 cm pan just holds the amount for 4 people. A wok gives you more room to toss, and you will find tips at seasoning a wok.
Common mistakes
- Freshly cooked rice: Warm rice sticks and turns mushy. If you have to, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered in the fridge for an hour.
- Sauce in the middle of the rice: Pour the soy sauce and fish sauce along the hot edge of the pan. There they caramelize briefly before you stir them in.
- Overcrowded pan: In a small pan the fat cools and the rice steams. Fry in two rounds instead.
- Rice stored too long: Cool cooked rice quickly and use it within 1 to 2 days.
More recipes with shrimp and rice
The Thai version is called Khao Pad. There you fry shrimp instead of chicken and season at the table with chili fish sauce. You can find Japanese fried rice with egg and scallions at Chahan. With shrimp, squid and mussels, you cook Hai Xian Chao Fan from China.
What to serve with it
Put a small bowl of fish sauce with chopped chili and lime juice on the table for extra seasoning. Cucumber slices or a clear Vietnamese vegetable soup go well on the side.
