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Shrimp Paste Rice (khao krok kapi)
This popular fried rice dish is made with left-over cold rice and kapi (shrimp paste). There are several side dishes so each diner customizes the rice to their taste.

Kapi (Shrimp Paste) is an important ingredient in Thai cuisine but also in all other Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisine. It is known as terasi in Indonesia, Ngapi in Burma, kapi in Thailand and Laos, belacan in Malaysia, mắm tôm in Vietnam, bagoong alamang in Philippines, and Hom ha in China.

On our recent trip to Cambodia we visited a village built on stilts in Tonle Sap Lake, not far from Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. They gather fresh water shrimp and lay them on mats in the sun to dry, then pound into shrimp paste and allowed to ferment. This kapi is an often used ingredient in such dishes as this popular Shrimp Paste Fried Rice and also in dipping sauce for vegetables.

It is important to roast or fry the kapi to release the aroma and develope the flavour. PLEASE open the window first as it is "stinky" but this smell dissipates and a wonderful flavour develops. I usually just place a piece or spoonful of kapi on a piece of tinfoil and roast in my toaster oven.

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