How to Make Khao Yum

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Thai Ministry of Commerce and Thai Trade Center New York for Thai Rice.

Chef Pim Techamuanvivit shares how to make a vegan version of this classic rice dish from Southern Thailand.

What is Khao Yum?

Khao yum is a rice dish originally from Southern Thailand that features jasmine rice (which is grown primarily in Thailand), herbs, vegetables, fruit, crunchy bits, and a flavorful sauce. Last week I had the pleasure of connecting with chef Pim Techamuanvivit of Nari and Kin Khao in San Francisco and Nahm in Bangkok on Instagram Live to show me and everyone that tuned in how to make the dish. According to Pim, “khao” means “rice” and “yum” means “mix” or “the act of mixing or tossing,” which is a great descriptor of how the dish comes together. Pim demonstrated a vegan version of khao yum that featured turmeric scented rice with seasonal vegetables and tamarind sauce, which is what I’ll tell you how to make in this post.

Rice for Khao Yum

Thai jasmine rice (also called Hom Mali) is what one should use for khao yum. Pim suggests you rinse the rice a couple of times for the grains to be more separate, but it is up to you. When it comes to seasoning the rice, most people do not add any salt during the cooking process since the sauce added to it is so flavorful and pungent. However, Pim does like to scent it with turmeric, but you can also leave it plain or add butterfly pea powder to turn the rice blue.

Buying Thai Rice

Pim only uses Thai rice in her restaurants as it’s not only what she grew up with but also her favorite type of rice. And Thai rice is easier to find than you might think as Thailand is the number one rice exporting country for the past almost 30 years. In buying Thai jasmine rice, Pim says that it should smell slightly floral—hence the name—and recommends that people purchase it in small quantities to use up as the rice’s quality diminishes over time.

Vegan Khao Yum Sauce

Khao yum is traditionally made using a Southern Thai fermented fish sauce called “nam budu.” Pim’s vegan version instead uses tamarind pulp that is soaked in warm water and then massaged and strained. The finished result should have a viscosity similar to heavy cream. Another key component is palm sugar (though light brown sugar would be an okay substitute). To make the khao yum sauce, start by heating two parts tamarind to one part sugar in a pot on the stove until the sugar dissolves; then add some Thai light soy sauce to add a salty component. It is not recommended that you use Chinese or Japanese soy sauce as the flavor is different. Instead, you can just use salt (or fish sauce if you aren’t vegan).

As for the flavor of the sauce, it should lead with acid first, but you should still be able to taste the sugar and it should be balanced with salt. It needs to be pungent since this is the only thing flavoring the rice. For an extra boost of flavor, Pim sometimes adds a pinch of chile—such as puya chile or Korean chile powder—to add some smokiness, along with toasted black sesame seeds for nuttiness. The sauce can keep for a long time in the refrigerator, but if using sesame seeds, be sure to wait to add them until just before serving.

Khao Yum Ingredients

There isn’t an exact set of ingredients that you need to use for it to be called khao yum, it’s more about including certain flavor profiles and textures. The key components of khao yum are bitter herbs, bright and crunchy vegetables, a little bit of fruit, and a crunchy element. Some of the ingredients that are commonly used in Thailand are betel leaf, long beans, green mango or some sort of citrus, and crunchy little dried fish or shrimp, respectively. However, you can’t make it exactly like they do in Southern Thailand because you often can’t find certain ingredients outside of the region. Pim’s version that she created with me used mizuna, choy blossoms, nasturtium tips and petals, snap peas, plums, and a combination of toasted coconut flakes, fried shallots, and puffed rice. But again, any fresh produce can be used as long as it fits one of the flavor profiles. (And if you happen to have it, Pim says that a squeeze of Meyer lemon or calamansi to finish would be lovely.)

How to Serve Khao Yum

Start by placing a mound of Thai jasmine rice in the center of the plate. (You can use a small bowl or pint container to mold the rice into a nice shape.) Then artfully arrange the herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients around the rice. Pour some of the khao yum sauce over the rice, toss it all together with the other ingredients, and then it’s ready to eat. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Thai Ministry of Commerce and Thai Trade Center New York for Thai Rice. Click here for more information about Thai Rice, and watch the full Instagram Live with Pim here.