"Schezwan Egg Fried Rice" ... a delicious Indian Chinese food prepared in my style ... Irresistible rice that is hot and spicy with a lovely mixed flavour of ginger, garlic, fresh turmeric root, scrambled eggs, veggies, sauces etc.... tummy full lunch, an hour of nap ... Yummilicious …..
** I am sure all you have always relished fried rice the famous Chinese preparation that has caught the fancy worldwide for decades now. Chinese dishes have been so well promoted all round the world that they are available in every nook and corner of roads now, even on street side. Looking at its popularity makes you really wonder why our own Indian Cuisine has not been picked up so much. I guess we have lacked in promoting ourselves and our dishes too. Well, coming to the rice, all rice or noodles cooked for preparation of Chinese dishes including the veggies are all cooked about 75% only, that is the trick for perfectly cooked Chinese dishes. Fried Rice is the basic dish while others are all almost adaptions of the same, again this is what I feel. But I cannot speak much on these dishes as I have hardly relished them. I do not travel, neither do I go much to restaurants, I learn from what I see on videos, TV or friends, so I have neither the knowledge nor experience of these dishes, though plain fried rice is something I often ate during my teens. Schezwan is a spicier version of fried rice with addition of Chinese sauce to the same. Sharing a simple method of preparing the same with all of you, do try it out and enjoy with your family and friends.
** Here is my method of preparing "Schezwan Egg Fried Rice" .... My Style ...
** Ingredients :
Raw Rice / Tandulu : 2 cups Basmati or Jeera (Katsambar)
Eggs/Motto/Andey : 3-4 large sized
Carrot/Gajjar : one large sized
Capsicum/Donne Mirsanga : 2 large sized
Green Peas/Vatana : ½ cup shelled and kept ready
Cabbage : ½ cup finely chopped (I have not added)
Onion/Piyavu/Kanda : One large sized
Garlic/Losun/Lehsun : 8-10 peeled and finely chopped.
Ginger/Alle’/Adrak : 1 inch piece
Turmeric Root/Tarne Haldi Mande/Amba Haldi : 3 inch piece
Red Chilly Sauce : 2 tbsp
Spicy Tomato Sauce : 3-4 tbsp
Soya Sauce : 1 tbsp
White Pepper Powder : ¼ tsp
Salt to taste : one pinch
Turmeric/Haldi Powder : a pinch
Oil : ¼ cup any edible oil.
** Pick, clean, wash and soak rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Once again wash it well, put it in a colander for the excess water to drain off and keep it aside ready.
** Preparing of Rice : Boil about 2 liters of water and when it comes to boiling point add in the drained and kept ready rice, mix well and let it come to boiling point again. Once it does, let cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in a large pinch of salt and a tsp of any cooking oil and mix well. Lower the heat to medium and let the rice get cooked to 80% done by keeping a continuous checkout for the same.
** When the rice is cooked and done, remove and drain off all the hot water, put the rice in a stainless steel colander and rinse under running water to get it completely cooled down. Keep it aside for all the excess water to be drained off. You can then spread it out on a thick cotton cloth or plate if desired, I do not. This step is carried out to further arrest the cooking of the rice and is absolutely necessary to do so to get a cook fried rice.
** Peel of the skin of Carrot and cut them into ¼ inch sized cubes. Wash, wipe and cut capsicum also into ¼ inch sized cubes. Also, keep ready shelled green peas along with them. You can also chop cabbage finely and keep it ready aside, I did not have it at home, so skipped the same. Finely chop onion, garlic and keep it aside separately. Also, wash scrape off the outer skin and finely chop or grate ginger, fresh turmeric root and keep these ingredients ready aside.
** In a thick bottomed wide mouthed thick bottomed kadai/pan add in 2-3 tblsp of Oil and bring to smoking point heat. Lower the heat and break in the eggs, add salt and pinch of turmeric/haldi powder and white pepper powder, mix well and let cook for a minute untouched then begin to scramble the eggs on medium heat till they are soft and well done. Remove the scrambled eggs on a plate and keep it aside.
** In the same kadai/pan add in the remaining oil, when hot add finely chopped garlic and fry for a minute on high, immediately add in the sliced onions and continue frying for another 2-3 minutes. The onions should just be stir-fried and should not change in colour. Now add in finely chopped ginger, turmeric root, mix well and fry for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
** Add in the cut carrot and capsicum pieces along with the shelled green peas and mix well. Stir fry the veggies on high heat for 2-3 minutes, sprinkle some water, cover with a tight lid and cook now on medium for 3-4 minutes. Add in spicy tomato sauce, red chilly sauce, soya sauce and mix well. Cover and let cook for a minute. Now add the cooked rice and once again mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring in between.
** Add salt to taste after checking if necessary only as the sauces already contains salt, I have not added any salt. So be careful about that and do not forget to check before addition, as if overdone it turns out distasteful, you can always add in later too if necessary. Finally add in the scrambled eggs and mix well. Cover and cook all until it is equally heated from within, say at least for another 5 minutes. Do not add in any water.
** "Schezwan Egg Fried Rice" is done and ready to be served. Always serve it piping hot right from the kadai to plate. Tastes awesome when served for dinner or when children come home hungry from playing out in hot sun or from school too. It is holidays now and children love Chinese dishes, this time instead of giving them instant noodles or other food serve this dish as it does contain plenty of protein not to mention veggies which in all turns out the dish into a healthier option and also the best way to make them eat the same.
** Note : Frying of onions and veggies should be done on high heat, this is done so to trap the water in the veggies or else the crispiness of the same gets lost. But in doing so care should be taken to see that the veggies do not get burnt. This tip for Chinese cooking was shared by worldwide famous chef. Sanjeev Kapoor ji.
** Note : Addition of Salt is individual choice. I do not add as I believe in cutting off salt as much as possible which is not good for health. Here addition of the sauces ensures that enough of salt is added as these sauces have high content of salt in them. In case you wish to add as per the taste of your family do check in and add only that much how much is necessary.
** Note : I have neither added Aji-no-moto or vinegar as somehow I do not like them and I find that there is no much change in taste too if they are excluded. Some do add in a pinch of sugar, which again I have not added. White pepper powder is added on to scrambled eggs only instead of black to retain the colour.
** Note : You can increase the amount of red chilly sauce if desired depending upon your family spice level tolerance. If not you can also add on some red chilly powder or paprika powder too. The choice is exclusively yours..
** Note : Instant noodles or ready to eat packets are available in plenty choices in the market now. When they are OK if consumed once in a while and do not make the habit of the same as they contain preservatives which are not at all good for health, specially in case of growing children. A little bit of planning when done ensure you serve a healthier meal to your family. You can always prepare extra rice during lunch time or dinner time and prepare it into fried rice which will definitely cut down on time and effort of preparing them fresh.
** Well do try out the various types of dishes posted in blog, there are plenty of choices in all types of categories specially so if you are a Konkani Saraswat as I have included plenty of our traditional preparation of dishes always. With changing times however, children demand other type of food and change is always good once in a way. So do keep them happy by preparing and serving them in your own home with love and see the sparkle in their eyes.
** For the method of "Scrambling of Eggs", you can check out the given link recipe below, where is there are plenty of pictures for proper understanding of the same.
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of different types in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it or have a query, please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Do try out various types of dishes included in the Blog and Enjoy them with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** I am happy to inform you that I have also started a food group for by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" which is over and year old, with about 23 K strong members. It is a pleasure to inform that you will find in the group many more recipes posted by our expert members and you too can share some of your own. The link to the group is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring" Thank You.
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