Garlic fried rice, better known as, Filipino Sinangag, is a staple for breakfast in the Philippines. It’s often served as a side dish with every meal, but it’s just as satisfying on its own.
How To Make Fried Garlic
You might wonder, “How challenging could this be?” The process itself isn’t difficult, but a moment’s distraction can be the difference between perfectly golden fried garlic and its burnt, bitter counterpart.
The trick is to remove the garlic just as it begins to brown since it continues to fry slightly afterward. This ensures you’ll get crispy garlic without the bitterness.
While this Filipino staple is delightful, I crave a bit more zest in my rice dishes. Thai basil is a top choice for me in any rice preparation. It introduces an anise/licorice flavor, a favorite in Asian cuisine. Interestingly, I’m not fond of other licorice variations.
Garlic Fried Rice with Thai Basil
The best of two worlds. This recipe infuses flavors from two cuisines into one. The iconic Filipino garlic fried rice and the flavorful punch of Thai basil.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups jasmine rice cooked the night before
- 2-3 tvsp Golden Mountain seasoning sauce or soy sauce of your choice
- 1 cup Thai basil packed
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 handful bean sprouts
- 2 stalks green onion sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- In a non-stick medium/large fry pan, set heat to medium-low and add in 4 tbsp vegetable oil.
- Add in minced garlic and fry it slowly, periodically stirring to prevent the garlic bits from sticking to each other.
- When the garlic starts to turn light brown, remove them from the oil using a fine mesh strainer and reserve the oil for use in the fried rice.
- Add the day over rice to the fry pan and using the back of a wooden spatula, break a part any clumps or rice.
- Increase heat to medium-high and toss/stir to incorporate the garlic infused oil.
- Add in reserved fried garlic, Thai basil and toss/stir a few more times to mix evenly.
- Finish with butter
- In the same fry pan, add in remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Crack eggs in one at a time and fry until the edges are crispy brown
- Top each serving with a fried egg and garnish with green onions.
Notes
Note: For best results, make the right the night before and store in the fridge. This allows the rice to dry out a little bit, then the next day when making fried rice, the rice rehydratesgets the that perfect texture and char from the wok or fry pan.