Skip to content

Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Khai jiao with jasmine rice

Khai jiao is a puffy, crispy Thai omelet served over jasmine rice with sriracha. This recipe serves 4, takes 20 minutes, rates as very easy, and costs about €1.70 per person. The trick is pouring well beaten eggs into very hot oil so they puff up instantly.

Tonight, puffy golden Thai omelet, served over jasmine rice with a little sriracha, ready in twenty minutes.

Khai jiao with jasmine rice
Total time
20 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€1.70
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Khai jiao has nothing in common with a regular omelet. Whisked with soy sauce and lime juice, the eggs puff up in scorching oil and form a golden, crackly shell on the outside while staying soft inside. That contrast in texture is the whole point of the dish, far more than the taste of the egg itself.

This is the kind of dinner Mon Chou suggests for nights when the fridge is nearly empty. Kids tend to love the rice and the crispy bits, while adults can turn up the heat with a drizzle of sriracha at the table. From cooking the rice to plating up, everyone is fed in twenty minutes.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Eggs 8

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Sriracha sauce 3 tbsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 12 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lime 1
  • Scallion 2
  • Cucumber 1

Allergens Eggs, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the jasmine rice in salted water. 12 min

    Rinse it before cooking to remove excess starch.

  2. Crack the eggs into a bowl with the soy sauce and lime juice, and whisk vigorously.

    Whisk hard to trap air, that's what makes the omelet puff up.

  3. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a wok until it almost smokes, and pour in a quarter of the eggs from a good height. 2 min

    The oil needs to be very hot, the eggs puff up instantly.

  4. Fold the omelet over itself, flip it, brown the other side, and drain. Repeat for the other three. 4 min

    Don't stack them, they lose their crispiness.

  5. Serve the omelets over the rice with scallion, cucumber, and sriracha.

    Drizzle the sriracha lightly, you don't need much.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wok or a fairly deep pan, the oil needs to cover the edges of the omelet while it puffs up.
  • Never lower the heat between omelets, the oil has to stay very hot so each portion puffs up right away.
  • Beat the eggs just before cooking them, the air trapped by whisking settles quickly if it sits too long.

The variations

  • Stir ground pork or shrimp into the beaten eggs for a heartier version.
  • Swap the regular soy sauce for tamari for a gluten free version, nothing else changes.
  • For kids who don't like spice, serve the sriracha on the side in a small dish instead of drizzling it on top.

What to serve it with

  • A vinegared cucumber salad
  • A clear Thai broth starter
  • Unsweetened iced tea

Storage

Khai jiao is best eaten right away, while it's still crispy. It keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, but loses its crunch as it cools. Reheat it briefly in a pan rather than the microwave to limit this.

Questions about this dish

Why doesn't my omelet puff up like at a restaurant?

The oil is probably not hot enough, or the eggs weren't whisked enough. The oil should almost smoke, and the eggs need a vigorous whisk right before cooking to trap air.

Can I prep the egg mixture ahead of time?

It's better to whisk the eggs right before cooking, since the trapped air settles if it waits. You can chop the scallions and cucumber ahead though.

Does khai jiao freeze well?

No, the omelet loses all its crispiness and turns rubbery once thawed. It's best made just before serving, which is quick anyway.

Can I use a different hot sauce instead of sriracha?

Yes, any chili based hot sauce works, but sriracha also brings a slight sweetness and tang that's typical of the dish. Adjust the amount based on how spicy your sauce is.

How long does it take to make a khai jiao, Thai puffy omelet, with jasmine rice and sriracha?

Count 20 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a khai jiao, Thai puffy omelet, with jasmine rice and sriracha?

About 740 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 khai jiao, Thai puffy omelet, with jasmine rice and sriracha cost?

About €1.70 per serving, or €6.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

South and Southeast Asian Cuisines

See all

Egg recipes

See all