Skip to content

Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Kai Palo with Rice

Kai palo is a Thai braised dish of hard boiled eggs and tofu simmered in a five spice broth with star anise and cinnamon. It serves 4, takes 50 minutes, and is very easy to make, costing about €2.10 per person. The key to a good kai palo is letting the eggs simmer long enough to soak up the broth's flavor.

Tonight it's Thai kai palo, hard boiled eggs and tofu simmering in a dark five spice broth, sweet and comforting, with rice.

Kai Palo with Rice
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.10
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Kai palo is a dark, fragrant broth where hard boiled eggs and tofu cubes simmer together, sweet and salty, seasoned with star anise, cinnamon and five spice. The eggs turn a deep caramel color as they cook and develop a rich flavor, while the tofu soaks up all those aromas without drying out.

It's the kind of dish you can start on a weeknight and forget about, since it simmers on its own while you handle everything else. At Mon Chou, we like this one because kids tend to enjoy its mild, slightly sweet flavor, and it holds up well if everyone isn't eating at the same time.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Eggs 8
  • Firm tofu 300 g

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
  • Five spice powderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Star aniseoften in the pantry 2
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 stick
  • Brown sugaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Cucumber 1
  • Fresh cilantro 3 sprigs

Allergens Eggs, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool them down and peel them. 10 min

    Cool them in ice water, the shells come off easily.

  2. Brown the tofu cubes in a little oil and set aside. 6 min

    Keep the cubes fairly large, they'll soften in the broth.

  3. In a saucepan, mix a liter of water with the soy sauces, five spice, star anise, cinnamon, sugar and crushed garlic.

    Taste the broth, it should be quite salty and sweet, the eggs will absorb a lot.

  4. Add the eggs and tofu to the broth and let it simmer over low heat. 30 min

    The longer it simmers, the more fragrant the eggs become.

  5. Cook the jasmine rice and serve with the eggs, tofu, a bit of broth, cucumber and cilantro. 12 min

    Spoon some broth over the rice, that's the best part.

Our tips to get it right

  • Crush the garlic cloves well before adding them to the broth, they release more flavor and nearly dissolve as they cook.
  • If you have time, let the eggs and tofu cool in the broth before serving, they keep absorbing flavor even off the heat.
  • Toast the star anise and cinnamon stick dry in the pot for a minute before adding water, it wakes up their aroma before simmering.

The variations

  • Swap the tofu for pork belly pieces for a more traditional, richer version.
  • For a fully vegetarian version, skip the pork idea and just double the tofu, the dish stays just as fragrant.
  • For picky or impatient kids, cut the simmering time to 15 minutes, the broth will be milder and lighter in color but still tasty.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh sliced cucumber
  • Jasmine or green tea
  • A bit of fresh chili for heat

Storage

Store kai palo in the fridge in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days, the eggs and tofu will keep soaking up flavor from the broth. It freezes well, just remove the star anise and cinnamon stick first. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water if the broth has reduced too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you use regular soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce?

Yes, but the broth will be lighter in color and less sweet. Dark soy sauce gives kai palo its signature deep color and a slight caramel note.

Do you need to fry the tofu before simmering it?

It's not required but it helps, frying first keeps the tofu firm during the long simmer. Skipping this step can make the tofu fall apart a bit.

Can you make kai palo ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended, the dish tastes even better reheated the next day. Resting lets the eggs and tofu absorb more of the broth.

What rice works instead of jasmine rice?

A fragrant Thai rice is the classic choice, but basmati rice works well too if that's what you have. Avoid overly sticky rice, it can make the dish feel heavy.

How long does it take to make a kai palo, soy sauce eggs and tofu simmered in five spice, with rice?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a kai palo, soy sauce eggs and tofu simmered in five spice, with rice?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a kai palo, soy sauce eggs and tofu simmered in five spice, with rice cost?

About €2.10 per serving, or €8.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

South and Southeast Asian Cuisines

See all

Egg recipes

See all