Vegetable Fried Rice

Notes

Rice:

• Medium to long grain rice such as Jasmine or Basmati rice is the best to use for fried rice as they usually keep their shape and stay firm. Short grain rice would also work but the consistency of the meal may be more sticky. Left over rice is ideal for fried rice. But if you find you are low on time or spontaneously feeling like cooking up a delicious easy meal then you can just cook up some rice, pop it on a tray, cover it with some plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (try not to freeze it as this won’t be too helpful) until it’s thoroughly chilled. This will allow the rice to fry and not continue to steam in the pan which results in a clumpy and gooey mess.


Vegetables:

• This recipe is just an example of what can be added into a fried rice. You can easily mix it up by adding in other steamed vegetables such as broccoli, sliced beans, cauliflower. You can use both fresh or frozen vegetables. If using frozen, take the vegetables out of the freezer 30 minutes before using them or cook them for a few minutes longer before adding in the rice to make sure they are completely defrosted and cooked. Pineapple may not be something you would usually think about adding into your fried rice. The sweet, tangy taste gives the meal that extra flavour that you will certainly enjoy.


Nuts:

• Roasted nuts are super delicious in this meal. I prefer cashews but you could also easily include peanuts.
  Sauces: Due to allergies I am unable to use oyster sauce but before my allergies developed I would have oyster sauce in all of my asian meals. Fried rice was definitely no exception. Oyster sauce provides this dish with a more intense flavour. I would highly recommend using it, if you can! Sesame oil: this intense bold oil is perfect for a fried rice. It is definitely a must. Soy sauce: I always use reduced sodium soy sauce in this recipe but if you prefer to use traditional soy sauce you may want to use a little bit less. People also have different preferences when it comes to the taste of salt. I always cook with the minimum amount and have a little jar of soy sauce on the table while serving so my family can easily add in as they prefer.


Heat:

• Always make sure your pan is rather hot before adding in the rice. This will help it fry instead of steam.
  

Variations: there are so many variations that can be done to fried rice. Some of mine include:

• Chicken Fried Rice: Easily fry some diced chicken after you have cooked the garlic and green spring onions. For 4 people, you will need approximately 400g. Or for a short cut, you can easily use a store brought rotisserie chicken. Shred it and then add it into the meal with the rice. You may also want to make your fried rice a little bit extra by pairing this meal with my Peanut Satay Chicken Skewers.
• Beef Fried Rice: Season 400g beef with some salt and pepper. Sauté the beef in a seperate frying pan and add into the meal with the rice.
• Pork Fried Rice: Simply fry 400g boneless pork chop in a seperate frying pan and once cooked, dice and add into the meal with the rice.
• Bacon Fried Rice: Dice 400g bacon into small pieces and fry in a seperate frying pan. Add into meal with the rice.
• Shrimp Fried Rice: Sauté 500g of peeled, raw shrimp in a seperate pan while cooking rice. Add into your meal with the rice.
• Fried Brown Rice: instead of using the traditional white rice, give brown rice a try.

Left Overs:

• Fried rice can easily be stored in the fridge in an air tight container up to 3 to 4 days (no longer than 3 if your rice contains meat) and reheated the next day on the stove top or in a microwave. It isn’t recommended you reheat fried rice more than once as it will become very mushy. You can also freeze the fried rice. Just simply put it in an air tight container or a zip lock bag and put it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. When ready to use the rice, take out of the freezer a few hours before eating and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.