With the summer in full swing, this easy fried rice is suddenly a favorite in the house for quick meals.Combining deeply flavored,saltiness of dark soy sauce with nuttiness from sesame oil, the sweet crunch of fresh vegetables and hints of aroma from indian spices, this rice comes together in no time if you have a big rice portion leftover from last meal. The recipe can be twisted and turned to suit the occasion and the crowd you are serving to - add any assortment of vegetables (or fruits - pineapple, apricots, raisins)and any protein you like. Though a warm bowl is good on its own but I like to make hot chicken or manchurian along side sometimes for a hearty meal.Someone like me who prefers flatbreads to accompany our meals is enjoying it a lot.
 I had conveniently forgotten but when WordPress wished me a lot many years to fly with them, I realized!! Four summers. It has been four years of sharing little anecdotes of my life and recipes with all of you.Sometimes I wonder how much memories from life back in India and childhood or teens could my mind still retain even though I always thought otherwise. It has been a gratifying journey so far. Thank you for the love and support.This blog has been a wonderful nook to share and connect with all you who are hungry for indian food. Thank you so much for your interest and loving my country's cuisine.
Coming back to the recipe, I quite marvel at the brilliant concept of fried rice in asian cuisine. From Thai to Indonesian to Filipino, each fried rice is different yet wonderfully flavored. I have talked about indo chinese cuisine in my past posts and this recipe is another addition to that collection. This indian style fried rice stems from the chinese variant but the use of spices lend it notes of warmth and aromatic smokiness. I have been making fried rice for many years and have learnt a few things through trial and error. I guess this is the right post to share my little tips with you.
Into Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 large garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 green chilli slit
- ½ cup onion thinly sliced
- 5 scallions green & white parts chopped separately
- 2 cup shredded/julienned vegetables I used cabbage, colored bell pepper, blanched green beans, carrots)
- 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes adjust to taste
- 3 cup cooked basmati rice very cold
- 1 teaspoon tomato chilli sauce I use Maggi Hot & Sweet, you could use mix of ketchup + sriracha
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ tablespoon rice vingar
Instructions
- Heat up the cooking oil & sesame oil in a wok or a wide pan ( 12 inch or larger) on medium high.
- Add the garlic, ginger, green chili and white scallion parts to the oil and fry for 20-30 seconds or so till you see tiny blisters on the chili skin. Take care that the garlic doesnt burn.
- Add the onion next along with the vegetables. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and stir fry for 2-4 minutes on high heat. We want them to soften but still remain crunchy.
- On medium heat, add the cold rice. Add the soy sauce, garam masala, black pepper powder, red chili powder & chili tomato sauce. Break the rice lightly using spoon and toss so that the rice and vegetables are nicely mixed.
- Taste and adjust the salt (remember that if you are adding butter at the end, it has salt too). Turn the heat to medium for a minute or so till the rice is warmed through. Do not stir too much else rice starts breaking.
- Switch off the heat and while still warm, add the green scallion parts, vinegar, butter(if using) and chopped cilantro. Toss and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adding butter at the end may seem a bit unusual, but this is a small secret I learned from the husband who makes some mean fried rice. Try it.
- The rice from the this recipe has pronounced hints of ginger, you can omit or cut down the quantity if you do not like it.
- You can vary the ratio of neutral oil to sesame oil based on your liking. You could even cook using either of the oils, I am just sharing the ratio that we prefer.
- Add tofu, fried egg, pre cooked shrimp,chicken or any kind of protein in the recipe just at the end and warm it through with the rice.
I'd Love to Hear from You!