Fried rice with salted fish, egg, and scallions, seasoned with soy and fish sauce.
Cambodian everyday fried rice, shaped by the same Teochew-Cantonese diaspora that seeded fried-rice traditions across mainland Southeast Asia from the 19th century onward. Salted fish (trei prama) is the Khmer signature — a preservation tradition tied to Tonle Sap's annual flood-and-fish cycle, where surplus fish were salted to last the dry months.
Cambodian everyday fried rice via the same Teochew-Cantonese diaspora that seeded Southeast Asian fried rice in the 19th century. Salted fish (trei prama) is the Khmer signature, tied to Tonle Sap's flood cycle. Day-old cold rice only — fresh rice steams.
Day-old jasmine rice fried hard in lard or oil with chopped salted fish, garlic, scallion whites, and egg cracked straight into the wok. Each grain stays separate, edges slightly toasted. The salted fish does the seasoning — no soy needed if the fish is good. Top with sliced cucumber and a fried egg with a runny yolk; squeeze lime if it tastes flat.
Rice must be cold and at least a day old: fresh rice steams instead of frying because surface moisture hasn't retrograded. The wok needs to smoke before rice goes in, and the rice goes in before the egg if you want defined grains rather than a wet scramble. Salted fish is added late — too early and it dissolves into mush.
Variations
Phnom Penh roadside version (salted fish, lard, runny egg on top); Siem Reap tourist cafes plate it with chicken and pineapple; Battambang home cooks add Chinese sausage; Khmer Krom Vietnamese-border versions slip in ngo gai (sawtooth coriander).
On the Palate
Where Bai Cha sits in the Cambodian flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 30 min
- 15 min
Cook rice and let cool to room temperature.
Watch outUse day-old cold rice — fresh warm rice steams and clumps instead of frying into separate grains.
- 28 min
Fry salted fish until golden and set aside.
- 35 min
Scramble eggs in the same pan, then add garlic and scallions.
- 43 min
Add the cooled rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce, stirring to combine.
Watch outGet the wok smoking hot before the rice goes in, and toss constantly so each grain fries loose rather than stewing.
- 53 min
Mix in the fried fish and serve with cucumber slices.
Watch outFold the salted fish in at the very end — add it early and it dissolves into mush.
