[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":388},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:khai-jiao":3,"recipe:country:thailand":170},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"emoji":9,"summary":10,"intro":11,"story":12,"whyThis":13,"tips":18,"substitutions":25,"variations":38,"serveWith":48,"storage":50,"faq":51,"equipment":67,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":76,"diet":80,"mainIngredients":83,"ingredients":87,"instructions":129,"nutrition":151,"images":157,"keywords":161,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"khai-jiao","Khai Jiao (Thai Deep-Fried Puffy Omelette over Rice)","ไข่เจียว","kai jee-ow","thailand","🍳","Eggs beaten with fish sauce and dropped into shimmering hot oil, where they balloon into a crisp-edged, custardy raft — eaten over rice with chili sauce.","Khai jiao is a Thai omelette made the opposite way to a French one: instead of low heat and gentle folding, the eggs are seasoned with fish sauce, whisked hard for air, and poured from a height into oil hot enough to make them roar. In fifteen seconds the edges go lacy and brown, the middle inflates into a soft custard, and the whole thing is flipped once and lifted out. The taste is savoury and faintly funky from the fish sauce, the texture crisp at the rim and pillowy at the centre. It sits on hot jasmine rice, gets a stripe of chili sauce, and is finished in four minutes flat.","In Thailand khai jiao is the safety net of the food economy. It is the cheapest thing on the board at a rice-and-curry shop, the dish a cook makes for a child home from school, and the order you place at eleven at night when everything else is sold out. Because it is everywhere, it is also quietly competitive: a cook who can produce a tall, crisp, evenly browned omelette on demand is respected in a way that has nothing to do with the price of eggs. The measure of a good one is height and edge — a flat, pale omelette is considered a failed one, no matter how it tastes.\n\nThe technique is what makes it Thai rather than generic. The eggs are beaten until frothy, not just mixed, which loads them with air. Fish sauce does the seasoning, so there is a savoury depth salt alone cannot give. Then comes the part that surprises cooks used to European omelettes: the oil is deep, roughly a centimetre in a wok, and properly hot. Pouring the raw egg from twenty or thirty centimetres above the surface breaks the stream into droplets that hit the oil separately and set instantly, which is where the ragged, tempura-like fringe comes from.\n\nEndless variations orbit the plain version. Khai jiao moo sap folds in minced pork; other shops work in crab meat, shredded green papaya, chopped long beans, holy basil or preserved radish. It is almost never eaten alone — it is a component of a rice plate, often next to a curry, and the standard accompaniment is a bottle of Thai sriracha, which is thinner, tangier and less sweet than the American style most people picture. Order it as a hangover breakfast, a late supper, or the third dish that stretches a table for two into a table for four.",[14,15,16,17],"Uses the real street method — deep hot oil and a high pour — instead of the low-heat pan that produces a flat, sad omelette.","A pinch of cornstarch and a squeeze of lime keep the fringe crisp for minutes rather than seconds.","Two omelettes cooked back to back in the same oil, so the second one is as good as the first.","Honest about the oil: it is a lot, most of it stays in the wok, and the recipe explains how to reuse it.",[19,20,21,22,23,24],"Beat the eggs until they are pale and foamy on top, at least thirty seconds. Air is the whole reason the omelette puffs.","Test the oil with a drop of egg: it should sizzle violently and float within a second. If it sinks and creeps, the oil is too cool and the omelette will absorb it.","Pour from high above the wok, in one steady stream. This is not a flourish — the scattered droplets are what create the lacy fringe.","Use a wok if you have one. The curved sides pool the oil deep in a small area, which is why a modest amount of oil behaves like a deep fryer.","Drain the omelette on a rack rather than paper towel; sitting flat in its own steam softens the crisp edges within a minute.","Strain the cooled frying oil through a coffee filter into a jar. It keeps for two or three more omelettes before it starts tasting of old egg.",[26,30,34],{"original":27,"swap":28,"note":29},"Fish sauce","Light soy sauce, or 1 tsp salt dissolved in a splash of water","Soy makes a perfectly good omelette but a noticeably rounder, less savoury one. For a vegetarian version, vegan fish sauce made from pineapple or seaweed gets much closer than soy.",{"original":31,"swap":32,"note":33},"Thai sriracha","Sweet chili sauce, or fresh chilies pounded with fish sauce (prik nam pla)","Thai sriracha is thinner and sharper than the American squeeze-bottle kind. Prik nam pla is the more traditional table condiment and takes one minute to make.",{"original":35,"swap":36,"note":37},"Neutral frying oil","Rice bran, peanut or sunflower oil","Anything with a high smoke point works. Avoid olive oil — it smokes at this temperature and its flavour fights the fish sauce.",[39,42,45],{"name":40,"description":41},"Khai jiao moo sap","The most common shop version: 100 g of minced pork mixed raw into the beaten egg. The pork cooks through in the same fast fry, so mince it finely or the omelette sets before the meat does.",{"name":43,"description":44},"Khai jiao poo","The luxury one, loaded with lump crab meat and often twice the price of anything else on the menu. Fold the crab in at the last second so it stays in visible pieces.",{"name":46,"description":47},"Khai jiao chai po","Made with chopped preserved sweet radish, which adds crunch and a sweet-salty note. Rinse the radish first — it is packed very salty and will overwhelm the fish sauce.",[49],"A plate of hot jasmine rice, a bottle of Thai sriracha, and sliced cucumber to cool the palate.","Khai jiao is a cook-and-eat-now dish and does not survive storage — the crisp fringe goes leathery within the hour and reheating turns the custardy middle rubbery. If you have leftovers, slice them cold into strips and stir them through fried rice, which is what Thai home cooks do rather than reheat. The frying oil, on the other hand, keeps well: cool it fully, strain it, and store it sealed at room temperature for a week.",[52,55,58,61,64],{"question":53,"answer":54},"Why does my Thai omelette come out flat instead of puffed?","Almost always the oil is not hot enough. The egg needs to hit oil at around 180°C so the water in it flashes to steam immediately and inflates the omelette. If the oil is merely warm, the egg spreads and sets slowly into a thin pancake. Under-beating the eggs is the second cause — they should be frothy, not just streak-free.",{"question":56,"answer":57},"Is this much oil really necessary?","Yes, for the authentic result. The omelette needs to float rather than sit on the pan bottom, which is what gives it the puffed shape and lacy edges. Very little of it is actually absorbed if the oil is properly hot, and what stays in the wok can be strained and reused. Cooking khai jiao in a tablespoon of oil produces a decent omelette, but not this dish.",{"question":59,"answer":60},"Can I make khai jiao without fish sauce?","You can use light soy sauce or plain salt, and it will still be good. But fish sauce is doing more than salting — it brings a fermented savouriness that is the background flavour of the dish. Vegetarian fish sauce made from pineapple or seaweed is the closest substitute if you want the character without the anchovies.",{"question":62,"answer":63},"What do I serve with a Thai omelette?","Hot jasmine rice underneath, chili sauce on top, and that is the standard minimum. In Thailand it is usually one dish among several on a rice plate, often sharing space with a curry or a stir-fry. Sliced cucumber or a simple clear soup rounds it out if you want the omelette to be the whole meal.",{"question":65,"answer":66},"Can I cook two omelettes at once to save time?","No — crowding the wok drops the oil temperature and both omelettes will flatten and go greasy. Cook them one at a time, let the oil come back up to temperature for thirty seconds between them, and keep the first one on a rack in a warm oven. Two omelettes take under five minutes total.",[68,69,70,71],"Wok or small deep frying pan","Wire skimmer or slotted spoon","Cooling rack","Whisk or fork",2,5,10,"easy",[77,78,79],"breakfast","main","street-food",[81,82],"pescatarian","dairy-free",[84,85,86],"eggs","fish-sauce","jasmine-rice",[88,93,96,101,105,109,114,118,122,126],{"ref":84,"qty":89,"unit":90,"name":91,"group":92},6,"piece","eggs, at room temperature","For the omelettes",{"ref":85,"qty":72,"unit":94,"name":95,"group":92},"tsp","fish sauce",{"ref":97,"qty":98,"unit":94,"name":99,"note":100,"group":92},"lime",1,"lime juice","helps the edges crisp and keeps them crisp longer",{"ref":102,"qty":98,"unit":94,"name":103,"optional":104,"group":92},"cornstarch","cornstarch or rice flour",true,{"ref":106,"qty":98,"unit":107,"name":108,"group":92},"white-pepper","pinch","ground white pepper",{"qty":110,"unit":111,"name":112,"noScale":104,"group":113},250,"ml","neutral oil for frying (rice bran, peanut or sunflower)","For frying",{"ref":86,"qty":72,"unit":115,"name":116,"group":117},"cup","hot steamed jasmine rice, to serve","To serve",{"qty":119,"unit":120,"name":121,"group":117},null,"to taste","Thai sriracha or sweet chili sauce",{"ref":123,"qty":124,"unit":90,"name":125,"optional":104,"group":117},"cucumber",0.5,"cucumber, sliced",{"ref":127,"qty":98,"unit":90,"name":128,"optional":104,"group":117},"scallions","scallion, thinly sliced",[130,134,138,141,145,148],{"title":131,"text":132,"tip":133},"Beat the eggs properly","Crack {qty:eggs} of eggs into a bowl with the fish sauce, lime juice, cornstarch and white pepper. Beat hard with a fork or whisk for at least 30 seconds, until the surface is uniformly foamy and pale — you are whipping air in, not just combining.","Split the mixture into two bowls now. You are frying one omelette at a time and pouring from a bowl is far easier than pouring from a measuring cup.",{"title":135,"text":136,"tip":137},"Heat the oil until it shimmers","Pour the oil into a wok or small deep pan to a depth of about 1 cm and heat over medium-high until it shimmers and a drop of egg batter sizzles hard and floats within one second. This is around 180°C.","If the drop browns instantly and smells scorched, pull the pan off the heat for 20 seconds — too hot burns the fringe before the centre sets.",{"title":139,"text":140},"Pour from high","Hold the bowl 25–30 cm above the oil and pour half the egg in one confident stream into the centre. It will erupt, spread and immediately throw out a ragged lace of crisp edges. Do not touch it for 30 seconds.",{"title":142,"text":143,"timerSeconds":144},"Baste and flip once","Spoon hot oil over any pale spot on top, then when the underside is deep golden and the surface has set into a puffed dome — about 45 seconds — flip it with a skimmer and fry 20–30 seconds more. The centre should still feel soft when pressed.",45,{"title":146,"text":147},"Drain on a rack","Lift the omelette out and set it on a wire rack, not on paper towel, so steam escapes from underneath and the edges stay crisp. Let the oil return to temperature for 30 seconds, then fry the second omelette the same way.",{"title":149,"text":150},"Serve on rice, immediately","Slide each omelette onto a mound of hot jasmine rice, squeeze a stripe of sriracha across it, and scatter the scallion over the top. Eat straight away with cucumber alongside — the crisp fringe is at its best in the first two minutes.",{"calories":152,"protein":153,"carbs":154,"fat":155,"fiber":72,"sodium":156,"estimated":104},540,22,48,29,780,[158],{"src":159,"alt":160},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkhai-jiao\u002Fhero.svg","Puffed golden Thai omelette with lacy crisp edges sitting on steamed jasmine rice with a stripe of chili sauce",[162,163,164,95,165,166,167],"khai jiao","thai omelette","fried egg","street food","thai breakfast","rice plate","2026-08-19","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":171,"total":74,"page":98,"limit":386,"hasMore":387},[172,179,208,236,261,287,309,329,351,368],{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":173,"diet":174,"mainIngredients":175,"images":176,"keywords":178,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},[77,78,79],[81,82],[84,85,86],[177],{"src":159,"alt":160},[162,163,164,95,165,166,167],{"slug":180,"title":181,"nativeName":182,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":184,"cookMinutes":185,"restMinutes":186,"difficulty":75,"course":187,"diet":189,"mainIngredients":193,"images":197,"keywords":201,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"mango-sticky-rice","Khao Niao Mamuang (Thai Mango Sticky Rice)","ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง",4,20,30,240,[188],"dessert",[190,191,192,82],"vegetarian","vegan","gluten-free",[194,195,196],"sticky-rice","coconut-milk","mango",[198],{"src":199,"alt":200},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fmango-sticky-rice\u002Fhero.svg","Mound of glossy coconut sticky rice beside fanned slices of golden mango, drizzled with coconut sauce and toasted sesame",[202,203,204,205,206,207],"mango sticky rice","khao niao mamuang","thai dessert","coconut milk","glutinous rice","vegan dessert",{"slug":209,"title":210,"nativeName":211,"romanized":212,"countrySlug":8,"region":213,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":214,"cookMinutes":215,"difficulty":216,"course":217,"diet":219,"mainIngredients":220,"images":224,"keywords":228,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"khao-soi","Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)","ข้าวซอยไก่","Khao soi gai","Chiang Mai",25,40,"medium",[78,218],"soup",[82],[221,85,97,222,223],"chicken","garlic","onion",[225],{"src":226,"alt":227},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkhao-soi\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of golden coconut curry noodle soup with a chicken leg, crisp fried noodle nest, shallots and lime wedge",[229,230,231,232,233,234,235],"khao soi","chiang mai","curry noodle soup","northern thai","coconut curry","egg noodles","lanna",{"slug":237,"title":238,"nativeName":239,"romanized":240,"countrySlug":8,"region":241,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":184,"cookMinutes":242,"difficulty":216,"course":243,"diet":245,"mainIngredients":246,"images":249,"keywords":253,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"larb-gai","Larb Gai (Isan Minced Chicken Salad with Toasted Rice)","ลาบไก่","Laap kai","Isan",15,[78,244],"appetizer",[82,192],[221,97,85,247,248,127],"mint","rice",[250],{"src":251,"alt":252},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Flarb-gai\u002Fhero.svg","Warm minced chicken salad piled with mint, shallot and scallion, dusted with toasted rice powder, beside sticky rice",[254,255,256,257,258,259,260],"larb","laap gai","isan","thai salad","minced chicken","toasted rice powder","lao food",{"slug":262,"title":263,"nativeName":264,"romanized":265,"countrySlug":8,"region":266,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":185,"cookMinutes":267,"restMinutes":268,"difficulty":75,"course":269,"diet":271,"mainIngredients":272,"images":276,"keywords":280,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"moo-ping","Moo Ping (Thai Grilled Coconut Pork Skewers)","หมูปิ้ง","Mu ping","Bangkok",12,480,[79,270,78],"snack",[82,192],[273,222,274,85,275],"pork-shoulder","cilantro","black-pepper",[277],{"src":278,"alt":279},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fmoo-ping\u002Fhero.svg","Charred grilled pork skewers glazed dark brown on a street grill, served with a basket of sticky rice",[281,282,283,165,284,285,286],"moo ping","thai pork skewers","grilled pork","coconut marinade","bangkok breakfast","sticky rice",{"slug":288,"title":289,"nativeName":290,"romanized":291,"countrySlug":8,"region":292,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":267,"cookMinutes":293,"difficulty":75,"course":294,"diet":295,"mainIngredients":296,"images":299,"keywords":303,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"pad-kra-pao","Pad Kra Pao Moo (Thai Holy Basil Stir-Fry with Fried Egg)","ผัดกะเพราหมู","Phat kaphrao mu","Central Thailand",8,[78,79],[82],[297,298,222,84,248,85],"ground-pork","basil",[300],{"src":301,"alt":302},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpad-kra-pao\u002Fhero.svg","Plate of jasmine rice topped with chili-flecked minced pork and holy basil, with a lacy fried egg on top",[304,305,306,307,164,165,308],"pad kra pao","holy basil","thai stir-fry","minced pork","quick dinner",{"slug":310,"title":311,"nativeName":312,"romanized":313,"countrySlug":8,"region":314,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":185,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":216,"course":315,"diet":316,"mainIngredients":317,"images":319,"keywords":323,"publishedAt":328,"updatedAt":328,"authorSlug":169},"pad-thai","Pad Thai (Tamarind Rice Noodle Stir-Fry)","ผัดไทย","Phat thai","Central Thailand \u002F Bangkok",[78,79],[82,192,81],[318,84,85,127],"shrimp",[320],{"src":321,"alt":322},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpad-thai\u002Fhero.svg","Plate of pad thai noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and a lime wedge",[324,325,8,326,327,165,318],"pad thai","noodles","stir-fry","tamarind","2026-08-18",{"slug":330,"title":331,"nativeName":332,"romanized":333,"countrySlug":8,"region":241,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":184,"cookMinutes":334,"difficulty":75,"course":335,"diet":337,"mainIngredients":338,"images":341,"keywords":345,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"som-tam","Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad Pounded in a Mortar)","ส้มตำไทย","Som tam thai",0,[244,336],"side",[82,192,81],[97,85,222,339,340],"tomato","dried-shrimp",[342],{"src":343,"alt":344},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsom-tam\u002Fhero.svg","Green papaya salad heaped on a plate with cherry tomatoes, long beans, chilies and crushed peanuts beside a clay mortar",[346,347,256,257,348,349,350],"som tam","green papaya salad","papaya","mortar and pestle","no-cook",{"slug":352,"title":353,"nativeName":354,"romanized":355,"countrySlug":8,"region":292,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":184,"cookMinutes":185,"difficulty":75,"course":356,"diet":357,"mainIngredients":358,"images":359,"keywords":363,"publishedAt":328,"updatedAt":328,"authorSlug":169},"thai-green-curry","Thai Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan)","แกงเขียวหวาน","Kaeng khiao wan",[78],[82,192],[221,298,85],[360],{"src":361,"alt":362},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fthai-green-curry\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of pale-green Thai curry with chicken, eggplant and thai basil beside jasmine rice",[364,8,205,221,365,366,367],"green curry","gaeng keow wan","thai basil","curry paste",{"slug":369,"title":370,"nativeName":371,"romanized":372,"countrySlug":8,"region":292,"baseServings":183,"prepMinutes":242,"cookMinutes":184,"difficulty":75,"course":373,"diet":374,"mainIngredients":375,"images":377,"keywords":381,"publishedAt":328,"updatedAt":328,"authorSlug":169},"tom-yum-soup","Tom Yum Goong (Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup)","ต้มยำกุ้ง","Tom yam kung",[218],[82,192,81],[318,376,97,85],"mushrooms",[378],{"src":379,"alt":380},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftom-yum-soup\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of hot and sour tom yum soup with shrimp, mushrooms, lemongrass and cilantro",[382,218,8,318,383,384,385],"tom yum","lemongrass","galangal","hot and sour",24,false,1787360061084]