Khai jiao is the ultimate crispy omelet, with crunchy edges teasing to soft cloudy eggs that get a kick of umami from fish sauce instead of salt. To nail it, you'll need frothy beaten eggs, a wok or deep non-stick pan, and lots of hot oil. You can get some insurance by adding cornstarch or rice flour to help it crisp up, but this is optional in this recipe. Top your Thai-style omelet on plain rice or serve it alongside anything with a sour or spicy kick to take the edge off.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½–2 tsp fish sauce, to taste
- ¾ cup oil
Heat oil in a wok or a deep non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Beat eggs until frothy. The whites should be fully incorporated and the eggs should not be lumpy.
Once oil is smoking, add eggs, waiting for them to puff up. It should only take a couple of seconds.
Using a spoon, baste the eggs with hot oil as you wait for the bottom part to brown.
Once browned, flip the eggs and cook for a few more seconds until the edges are crispy.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Serve while hot.
Notes
Beat the eggs until frothy. This will incorporate air into the eggs, helping it puff.
You can add 1–1 ½ tbsp cornstarch or rice flour to the beaten eggs. This will help the edges crisp up better.
You can customize your omelet with meat and vegetables as you prefer.
