House Made Curried Rice Crisps Recipe

Prepare rice paste

In a large bowl, break up the day-old jasmine rice with your fingers or a fork so there are no large clumps. Add rice flour, cornstarch, curry powder, salt, and sugar. Mix until evenly combined.

Hydrate and rest

Gradually stir in warm water (120 ml) until a slightly sticky, spreadable paste forms. The mixture should hold together when pressed but not be runny. Cover and let rest 15 minutes to hydrate the rice and allow flavors to bloom.

Form crisps

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion 10–12 small rounds (about 1 tablespoon each) and flatten them to roughly 2–3 mm thickness — very thin so they puff in the fryer. Brush or spray each lightly with neutral oil on top.

Dry before frying

Let the flattened rounds air-dry 20–25 minutes at room temperature (or 10–15 minutes under a fan) until the surface feels tacky but not wet. This helps them expand and crisp in the hot oil.

Fry

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 190°C (375°F). Working in small batches (do not overcrowd), fry each crisp until it puffs and becomes golden and brittle, about 10–20 seconds per batch. Use a slotted spoon to remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining rounds. If some pieces remain chewy, return briefly to oil until fully crisp.

Finish

While still warm, sprinkle any remaining pinch of salt if desired. Transfer to a cooling rack so they stay crisp.

Mix pork

Place the finely minced pork in a bowl. Add minced garlic, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and sliced red chili (if using). Mix vigorously with a spoon or by hand for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes slightly tacky and well combined.

Marinate briefly

Cover and let sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes to develop a mild sour note from the vinegar and integrate flavors. (If you prefer a more pronounced sourness, refrigerate 2–4 hours.) Taste and adjust fish sauce or vinegar sparingly.

Portion

When ready to serve, form the sour pork into small quenelles or oval spoonfuls (~1 tbsp each) so guests can place on crisps easily. Keep chilled until plating.

Prepare steamer

Bring 2–3 cm of water to a simmer in a wide shallow pot fitted with a steaming rack or bamboo steamer.

Assemble basil on lemongrass

Lightly bruise lemongrass halves with the flat side of a knife to release aroma. Arrange basil leaves in a single layer on the cut side of the lemongrass (or form small loose bundles of basil wrapped around the lemongrass).

Steam briefly

Place the lemongrass with basil into the steamer basket, cover, and steam for 30–45 seconds — just long enough to wilt and perfume the basil but keep bright green. Remove promptly and let cool slightly.

Dress basil

Toss the steamed basil leaves with light soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. The dressing should be very light so the basil remains the star and slightly aromatic from the lemongrass.

To assemble, place a curried rice crisp on a small plate or serving board. Top each crisp with a quenelle (about 1 tbsp) of sour pork. Spoon or tuck a few leaves of the lemongrass-steamed basil beside or lightly over the pork so steam aroma is present when served.

Garnish with a few cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of sliced scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing just before eating.

Serve warm and crisp. Leftover crisps will lose texture if exposed to humidity; store airtight once fully cooled.