How to make fried rice

Fried rice is the fast food of South East Asia. Whether it is called “Nasi Goreng” in Malaysia, “Khao Pad” in Thailand , “Chao Fun” in China or “Cha Han” in Japan, it never fails to bring back the flavors of home.

Rice is an indispensable staple in any Asian home. Leftover rice is used for fried rice dishes, partly as a way of thrift. However, the most important reason is that the moisture content in leftover cooked rice has already been absorbed, making it less sticky which is ideal for stir fry. All kinds of ingredients can be used for the fried rice, limited only by your imagination.

The following recipe is one of my favorite. There are two main processes to achieving great fried rice: Preparing the rice and the final dish itself. Do not be surprised to find that a simple meal as such calls for some practice and a dexterous hand .

Preparing cooked rice, for 2 persons:

1 cup of uncooked Thai rice, rinsed.

1.5 cups of water

Except for Thai rice, pre-soak Japanese or Basmati rice if used, for 30 minutes. Microwave the rice for 10 minutes and then let it stand for another 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a pair of chopsticks.

Use a fan to cool down the rice and remove excess moisture off the cooked rice. For this reason, leftover rice is the best option.

Fried rice ingredients:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 cup chopped ham or thinly sliced Chinese sausage

2 eggs ( lightly beaten, with a dash of sesame oil, salt, pepper )

1 cup green peas or mixed greens, blanched and drained

Chopped scallions ( optional )

Procedure :

Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a heavy work over high heat.

Scramble the eggs until 80% cooked. Push it aside in the wok.

Reduce to medium heat

Spoon in 1 teaspoon of oil. saute the garlic. Take care not to burn the garlic or else it gets bitter.

Add in the prepared rice and ham over the garlic. With the egg back in the medley, continually toss the rice mix over the wok.

When adequately mixed, stir in the peas and mix well for a couple of minutes.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a dash of sesame oil if preferred.

The rice is ready now to be served.

Garnish with scallions over the steaming rice. It gives a nice sophisticated aroma reminiscent of those in Chinese restaurants.

The ideal Chinese fried rice is not clumpy and every grain has a firm satisfying bite. For those who prefer a taste of South East Asia, add a teaspoon of chilli powder, curry powder and black soy sauce just before adding the peas and omit the sesame oil altogether.