Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Kao Kluk Gapi

Kao Kluk Gapi is a Singapore-style, wok-fried Thai shrimp-paste rice served with shredded green mango, omelette and sweet pork — a tangy, umami-packed hawker-style dish.

Kao Kluk Gapi

About this dish

Kao Kluk Gapi (Thai-style rice mixed with shrimp paste) lands well in Singapore’s hawker-scene imagination — think a kopitiam or heartland zi char stall turning Southeast Asian flavours into something you can tuck into for lunch or supper. This version keeps the classic components: day-old rice wok-fried with fragrant kapi (shrimp paste), crunchy dried shrimp, sweet pork, shredded omelette and tangy green mango for contrast. It’s familiar enough for Singapore palates yet bright and salty-sour, exactly the kind of plate you’d share at a family dinner or bring to a potluck.

At home it’s a great weeknight or weekend project: most of the work is prep — julienning green mango, cooking a thin omelette and slicing sweet pork — then the whole dish comes together quickly in a hot wok. The flavour profile balances savoury, salty shrimp-paste umami with a touch of sweetness (palm sugar or char siew) and a clean acidity from lime and green mango; textures alternate between silky omelette, chew of sweet pork, and crunchy dried shrimp. In Singapore you’ll often see local twists—extra chilli padi on the side, a spoon of sambal belacan, or kecap manis for a sweet glaze.

This recipe keeps the technique straightforward for a Singapore home kitchen: day-old jasmine rice from the rice cooker, a heavy wok for high heat, and pantry items available at NTUC, Cold Storage or wet markets like Tiong Bahru and Tekka. It’s lovely for a family-style main (serves 3–4) and also scales well for a buffet-style spread during gatherings like potlucks or casual festive makan where everyone helps themselves from a big platter.

Ingredients

  • 400 g day-old jasmine rice (preferably cooked and chilled overnight)
  • 2 tbsp shrimp paste (kapi), toasted lightly if fresh
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil or peanut oil, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 50 g dried shrimp, soaked in warm water 10 minutes and drained
  • 150 g sweet pork (char siu), thinly sliced (store-bought char siu or homemade)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten and cooked into a thin omelette, then shredded
  • 1 small green mango (about 200 g), peeled and julienned
  • 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced or ribboned
  • 2–3 bird's-eye chillies, thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
  • 2 spring onions, sliced on the bias
  • Fresh coriander or Chinese parsley (daun ketumbar) for garnish
  • Optional: 1 tbsp kecap manis for a sweeter edge
  • Optional garnish: fried shallots or crispy ikan bilis for extra crunch

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Prep all components: shred the cooked omelette, julienne the green mango, slice cucumber and char siu, soak and drain dried shrimp. Have day-old rice loosened with a fork so grains separate.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat and fry the dried shrimp until fragrant and slightly crisp (about 2–3 minutes). Set aside.
  3. In a wok over medium heat add 1 tbsp oil, sauté minced garlic and sliced shallots until soft and aromatic (about 1–2 minutes) — do not burn.
  4. Increase heat to high, add remaining 1 tbsp oil and the shrimp paste (kapi). Stir-fry quickly for 30–45 seconds until fragrant and the paste colours the oil.
  5. Add the day-old rice to the wok, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spatula. Toss continuously on high heat for 3–4 minutes so the rice is heated through and coated with the shrimp paste (aim for a bit of wok hei).
  6. Season the fried rice with fish sauce, light soy sauce and palm sugar; continue tossing and taste, adjusting seasoning like a zi char stall — add more fish sauce for salt, sugar for balance, or a splash of lime for brightness.
  7. Fold in the shredded omelette, fried dried shrimp and most of the sliced sweet pork; toss gently for another 1–2 minutes so ingredients are evenly distributed and warmed through.
  8. Transfer the rice to a serving platter. Arrange julienned green mango, cucumber, remaining sweet pork and sliced chillies around or on top. Garnish with spring onions, coriander and fried shallots. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and sambal on the side.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Use day-old rice chilled in the fridge — it separates better and doesn’t get mushy when stir-frying in a hot wok.
  • Shrimp paste (kapi) is potent: toast it briefly in a dry pan or fry in oil first to mellow bitterness and release aroma; buy brands at NTUC, Cold Storage or Tekka Market.
  • For authentic sweet pork, use ready-made char siu from your neighbourhood hawker or supermarket; alternatively pan-fry thin slices with 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp kecap manis to caramelise.
  • If you don’t tolerate heat well, remove seeds from bird’s-eye chillies or serve sliced chillies on the side — Singapore hawkers often let diners add their own sambal.
  • To get wok hei at home: use a well-seasoned heavy wok, preheat until smoking hot, work in small batches and keep tossing quickly on high heat.
  • Make components ahead (omelette, char siu, soaked dried shrimp) and assemble just before serving for a fast weeknight meal.
  • Leftovers keep well for 1–2 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water or oil to loosen the rice and refresh texture.

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