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- #21
As with most things, perfection isnt a destination.
Fried Rice Recipes!
- Thread starter Esox
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As with most things, perfection isnt a destination.
In our house we call it “Dirty” rice. Fried veggies and spices, always spicy, veggies that are on hand but mostly;
onion
garlic
peppers sweet
peppers hot
celery
carrot
peas
beans
zucchini
cabbage
bean sprout
spices;
pepper black cracked
chilli powder
smoked paprika
cumin
herbs on hand fresh or dry;
basil
oregano
cilantro
We cook diced veg, spices and herbs, add cold cooked rice, veggie stock, dash of soy, drizzle of sesame oil, tbs sambal chili sauce. I add a good chunk of cold butter and emulsify that into the remaining liquid just to finish. Adds a little richness, a bit of creaminess and mellows out all the spice. A fam favourite.
onion
garlic
peppers sweet
peppers hot
celery
carrot
peas
beans
zucchini
cabbage
bean sprout
spices;
pepper black cracked
chilli powder
smoked paprika
cumin
herbs on hand fresh or dry;
basil
oregano
cilantro
We cook diced veg, spices and herbs, add cold cooked rice, veggie stock, dash of soy, drizzle of sesame oil, tbs sambal chili sauce. I add a good chunk of cold butter and emulsify that into the remaining liquid just to finish. Adds a little richness, a bit of creaminess and mellows out all the spice. A fam favourite.
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- #23
I knew I forgot something. The Scotch Bonnet sauce!
I ended up tossing the rice I cooked yesterday and starting over. It was pretty much one large congealed lump of mush that just turned to paste when I tried separating it. Overcooked by 5 minutes or more, I think.
So, 1 cup uncooked rice, cooked to near perfection if I say so myself. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool, then into the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
1oz Sesame oil to the pan, medium heat. Talk about aroma. Wow, that stuff smells better than SV Desert Vetiver! Now I understand why fried rice isnt fried rice unless Sesame oil is used. Its like a high grade Balsamic vinegar compared to regular white vinegar.
Then I added a sliced carrot, one sliced green onion. Got that hot, added garlic, stirring and turning constantly for about 5 minutes. Added the cold rice, another ounce of Sesame oil, gave it a quick stir then let it sit and heat up while I stirred up 1/3 cup water, 1 tbl spoon Oyster sauce and 1 tbl spoon Sweet Soy sauce. Gave the rice a few stirs, added 1/2 the water mix, stirred until mixed and added the remaining water mix when it thickened.
I ended up adding about another 1/3 cup water and maybe 3 tbl spoons Soy sauce, slowly adding and working in the water while stirring and tossing.
Then adding steamed broccoli, peas, bean sprouts and 2 scrambled eggs.
It came out alright. Its a bit bland, needs salt and pepper, and I dont have the ratio of sauces dialed in yet but a pretty solid first attempt I think.
Its missing something but I dont know what. I think it needs a bit of tang. I was going to use Five Alive citrus instead of water but I was out and didnt know it. Maybe a squeeze of Lime.
Its also a bit pasty. I rinsed the rice well, until the water was clear but its a no name store brand rice and I think thats got a lot to do with it. A friend stopped over and she also suggested Jasmine rice. I think a higher quality rice will sort out the starchy thickness. She said she only buys her fried rice ingredients in a Chinese grocery store. A better plan may be to go buy the right rice and invite her over again with her rice cooker she said I MUST HAVE to "show me how it's done" heh.
I was also going to add 1/4 - 1/2 White onion, finely chopped, but as I was cooking the sausage they said on the news that the list of onions recalled for Salmonella was just expanded to include White and Yellow onions so it got tossed.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/onion-red-recall-1.5678721
I have enough fried rice for at least two days. I could fill the bowl in the picture twice and its a large salad bowl. Hungry, I am not lol.
Good going on your first attempt. I suspect your rice was not dried out enough. It will be better to let it stay in the fridge overnight. Maybe cook it more al dente (firm). Don't overcook your rice. Your rice should finish in steam, it should not be soupy.
Looks to be too much liquid in your sauce. The rice grains should stay separate.
Regular sesame oil is clear and has little flavor. Toasted sesame oil has a nutty flavor. You don't want to fry in the toasted oil, it will be too much and overwhelm the dish. You only want a few drops added at the end of cooking.
That much rice deserves an entire small or medium onion.
Try adding chili-garlic sauce or sriracha sauce at the table.
Looks to be too much liquid in your sauce. The rice grains should stay separate.
Regular sesame oil is clear and has little flavor. Toasted sesame oil has a nutty flavor. You don't want to fry in the toasted oil, it will be too much and overwhelm the dish. You only want a few drops added at the end of cooking.
That much rice deserves an entire small or medium onion.
Try adding chili-garlic sauce or sriracha sauce at the table.
Yes, good attempt, I agree with many points to tune in the rice. I like a long grain rice that is less starchy for fried rice. Jasmine would not be my go too, although I’m sure it would work ok. I swear by a rice cooker, comes out great every time. Day old rice that has absorbed the water and starting off with a less hydrated rice are good points. Sesame oil should be used in moderation to flavour at the end IMO, toasted it has a robust flavour and does not hold up well to high temp cooking. I like to start off with veg oil for frying on high heat. Boost the onion, green onion garlic, also fresh herbs and ground spices add depth of flavour. I like using a prepared stock instead of water, adds another layer, but watch the salt content as some are high in sodium. Garlic chilli paste is a go too condiment in our house and finds its way into many dishes. Good luck tuning it in!
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- #26
It seemed dry but what do I know lol. I kept testing it as it cooked. As soon as it got to the point of not being crunchy I turned the burner off and let it steam giving it the odd stir. I also added a tbl spoon or so of butter.
Its a bit thick I agree, but any drier and it was sticking to the pan. Thats why I think its starch leeching out of the rice.
An Onion. My kingdom for an onion. I'm with ya there. Coulda, woulda...
I was looking at the different varieties of both Chili Garlic and Sriracha sauces and didnt know what was what so I skipped both.
I was talking to that friend about fried rice and we both agreed on a local Chinese food place, The Chopstick House, has the best friend rice in town. Its been in the same place more than 40 years and I think its now run by the third generation of the same Chinese family. Their fried rice is fairly dry, which I dont mind, but I have been known to stir in some of their Sweet & Sour sauce to it. Even then, it never becomes pasty like you see in the pics of mine.
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- #27
Yep, thats what its lacking, basic seasoning, which I'm usually pretty good at. I dont mind it on the bland side to be honest and thats what I'm thinking about now. What to boost the flavours with and how much. Trial and error will be in full swing the next few tries. Salt and pepper. More garlic. Something with some tang and heat. Chives and parsley. I'm not really sure what will go with the sauces and oil but I guess I'll sort it out in time.
Using a stock was also on my mind. I had thought about cooking the rice in beef or chicken stock instead of water and will try that next time.
I think you’ve made Asian risotto 
When folks say high heat they mean it. Crank that thing up ( and let it heat for a bit ) until the rice browns and burns on it. Its that high heat fry that makes it good. From Texas bbq to Asian fried rice, what bonds us is the secret is in the taste of charcoal I mean caramel/ sear
When folks say high heat they mean it. Crank that thing up ( and let it heat for a bit ) until the rice browns and burns on it. Its that high heat fry that makes it good. From Texas bbq to Asian fried rice, what bonds us is the secret is in the taste of charcoal I mean caramel/ sear One day, it starts innocently enough with one or two of these:
Then, eventually, you find yourself stocking the pantry with these:
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- #30
I think you’ve made Asian risotto
I didnt want to admit it publicly haha, but you're right. I was scared of overcooking it from the heat being too high but that was what I naturally wanted to do!
Sear the rice and give it colour. I should have followed my gut on that one.
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- #31
I've been a bit gun shy of heat since the day I used 1/4 cup of Indian hot chili powder in place of my usual chili powder when I made 6qts of Chili and had to throw it all out. A level teaspoon might have been just right. The raccoons and skunks wouldnt even eat it.
"Moderation" isnt a word that suits me so I need to be careful lol.
Red Chili powder (really cayenne pepper ) is one of those randomly completely inconsistent meaningless spices unfortunately because the heat level can vary and it doesn't help that American chili powder is some random spice mix with the same name.
On our side for American chili powder - we use penzey's Chili Powder (regular )
For Cayenne -
The Indian red chili powder (extra hot) - needs homeopathic quantities to be edible - teaspoon size.
For ease I actually no longer buy this as it is really too easy to completely screw up a meal as you've noticed. What I buy (from the Indian stores are)
Kashmiri chili powder (which will get mocked for being glorified hot paprika - but its great for just a tad of flavor w/out overwhelming)
and something called
Resham Patti Chili Powder (from the same section) - This is my generic red pepper as its hot but not lunatic hot
Btw this is a total aside but given this topic is about (East Asian) food.. the other pepper (which isn't really even a pepper) that one can become obsessed with is Sichuan pepper .. its used a lot in Sichuan (the spicy food part of China) asian cooking .. and the spice/flavor is really weird - as in numbs your mouth weird..
My in-laws are Chinese/ Cantonese so their food isn’t spicy. I’ll post pics of the basic steps. Always have to have rice, egg, green onions. From there you can add all kinds of meats or The usual vegetables. Left steak or prime rib with garlic is good. Spam is a family favorite. kimchi fried rice since you like spicy. Spam or even hotdogs are good in kimchi fried rice. Chop half a cup or more kimchi. Fry kimchi first then add rice and other ingredients. Use 1/4 of kimchi juice from the jar to kick up the spice. I like it when I have a cold or sore throat. Great hangover food.
my basic recipe starts with bacon. Add rice and some green onions. Save most onions for the very end. You want that fresh flavor. Cook rice like hash browns until you get some crispy bits and it’s drying out. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs. Let the eggs set up half way. Then stir to coat the rice. Continue to stir until mixture has dried and egg coats all the grains of rice. Add soy sauce to taste and stir. serve and add remaining green onions.
my basic recipe starts with bacon. Add rice and some green onions. Save most onions for the very end. You want that fresh flavor. Cook rice like hash browns until you get some crispy bits and it’s drying out. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs. Let the eggs set up half way. Then stir to coat the rice. Continue to stir until mixture has dried and egg coats all the grains of rice. Add soy sauce to taste and stir. serve and add remaining green onions.
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I forgot to add this one. make chicken adobo with chicken thighs for dinner. Make extra rice. Next day use leftover rice, diced chicken, garlic and some of the adobo sauce as seasoning to make fried rice. Great inexpensive dinner that will feed ya for a few days.
lots of adobo recipes on line. I found this as an example.
therecipecritic.com
lots of adobo recipes on line. I found this as an example.
Chicken Adobo
Chicken Adobo is a tangy, salty, sweet, and spicy Filipino dish. This meal is easy to make and requires just…
therecipecritic.com
Thank you for the great recipe, i will give it a try.
Easy Kimchi Fried Rice
Easy kimchi fried rice recipe. Kimchi and rice is stir fried with smoky bacon and spicy kimchi juice. It's simply delicious!
mykoreankitchen.com
I can’t find the original recipe i used. This one is close. Don’t over think it.
you may also like this simple kimchi pancake recipe. Her website is a good resource for all things Korean. lots of spicy savory dishes.
Kimchi pancake (Kimchijeon: 김치전)
A kimchi pancake is one of the easiest and quickest things to make and is one of Koreans' all time favorite dishes. It's hot, spicy, crispy, a little sweet, sour, and a little salty. It is not only a great snack but also it goes well with rice as a side dish, and is great in lunchboxes in place...
Good advice. Personally, I would not add any liquid to my fried rice with the exception of a splash of soy at the end. You want nice light rice. Even though it is a stir fry, you don’t want gummy, you want each grain to be separate.
One tip, I would not go overboard with added ingredients. Just stick with onion, carrot, egg, and protein and work on getting it light. Turn up the heat.
All the other stuff to make it spicy and to season can be added be each person eating the rice.
One tip, I would not go overboard with added ingredients. Just stick with onion, carrot, egg, and protein and work on getting it light. Turn up the heat.
All the other stuff to make it spicy and to season can be added be each person eating the rice.
Another recipe that’s a little different but very simple. Great as a breakfast or as a side for something beefy or whatever. Check it out. Soon you will be buying rice in 50 pound bags like me 
www.curiouscuisiniere.com
Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice)
If you've never had Filipino Garlic Fried Rice, then you are missing out. Garlic elevates this simple fried rice recipe, giving it a robust flavor that make it a great side dish, no matter what meal you eat it for!
www.curiouscuisiniere.com
I love fried rice, order it in restaurants and cook it often at home. But I had a Chinese roommate in college who laughed at the whole idea of "Fried Rice". There's no such dish, he insisted. It's just leftovers. When your Mom had some leftover rice and she doesn't want to cook, she throws a bunch of stuff in a wok, heats it up, and that's what you eat for dinner. It's the Chinese version of Hobo Mulligan Stew.
It's not that kind of beast.
Yes
Yes.
But mostly a "use up yesterday's rice" dish rather than using up a whole whack of other leftovers.
I take a different view of fried rice from most of the others here, in that I prefer a much more minimalist approach rather than "everything and the kitchen sink" ingredient list.
- in whatever fry pan or wok you are using, fry some diced onion and garlic in oil. Or bacon fat, if you can get it. Or lard.
- when the onion and garlic is close to done, add the rice in big globs. Press it down and let it crust up a bit then move it around and break it up. Keep it moving.
- add a small amount of soy sauce. Just a dash or two. err on the side of caution ... you can't take it back out if you put in too much. If you noticeably darken the whole batch of rice, you added way too much.
- when it's almost done, crack an egg in there and scramble it up in the pan with the rice.
- When the egg is cooked, it's done. Serve.
Do NOT think of it as a meal ... think of it as that part of the meal that is the rice.
Yep. Keep making it and keep making it a bit better than last time.
No ... the crunchy bits are the best.
"leftover chicken adobo" is like "I cooked too much bacon" ... just ain't gonna exist.
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