“Egg Fried Rice” … Chinese fried rice is a delicious flavored rice that tastes best served with Manchurian another Chinese dish … both are a famous combo in themselves … fried rice can be prepared either as Veg. or as Non. Veg with addition of egg, chicken, crab meat, fish etc. well the choice list is long … I am preparing this after a longtime and I stuck to addition of eggs which is my favorite … Yummilicious …
** Fried rice as you all know is a famous Chinese dish prepared with both veg or non. Veg. In India however we do not follow the exact Chinese method but have adapted it to suit our taste and style, at least in my home I never add in aji-no-moto, which is an ingredient, added to almost all Chinese dishes. Well, I have posted fried rice already so over the years when I prepared I never thought of sharing again. The method varies by just a fraction that’s all but nevertheless thought of adding it on. You can check out on the other posts wherein I have also shared step by step method for easier knowing of the preparation of this fried rice dish.
** Ingredients :
Jeera Rice/ Tandul : 2 cups
Eggs/ Motto/ Andey : 3-4 large sized
Pepper Powder/ Mirya pitti: ½ - 1 tsp
Onion/ Piyavu/ Kanda : 1 large sized
Capsicum/ Donnemirsanga/ Simla Mirchi : 1 large sized
Carrot/ Gajjar : 1 large sized.
Ginger/ Alle’/ Adrak : 1 inch piece
Garlic/ Losun/ Lehysun : 6-8 large sized
Soya Sauce : 1 tblsp
Vinegar : 1 tsp
Oil : 4 tblsp + 1 tblsp
Salt (Namak/ Meeta) : to taste
** For Rice : Bring to boil about 6-8 cups of water and then add in the washed rice, stir it well, so that it does not stick to the bottom. Let it come to a full rolling boil after which cook just for 3-4 minutes. The rice should get just 50% cooked. Remove from fire, tilt the excess water on top slowly, add in a tsp of oil, mix well, cover and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
** The above method will cook the rice grains to about 70-80% only and the oil added will keep them separated. Now add the cooked rice into a strainer and let all the water get strained away, then hold the strainer vessel/ colander under running water and let the rice rinse well. This arrests further cooking off the rice, so just use plenty of water rinse.
** Now keep the rice in colander aside for 5-10 minutes, sharing gently a few times so that all excess water get drained. Spread it on a cotton cloth and allow to dry while we prepare other ingredients for the rice. You can also prepare the rice previous day, which is the best method and there is no need to spread on cloth just put in fridge and use it the next day.
** Note : I have always observed that fried rice turns out best if rice is cooked previous day. Just cook rice to 60%, strain it, rinse well under running water, let drain well and immediately put in an airtight box and stored in fridge. It also saves a lot on time and effort specially if you have guest coming over and there is so much to do. The choice is yours.
** Wash, wipe dry and cut the capsicum into small pieces. Similarly, peel of the skin, wash, dry and then cut the carrot also into small pieces or you can grate if desired. Peel off the skin of onions and chop them also into fine pieces. Peel off the skin of garlic and cut them also into small pieces, similarly the ginger too. Keep all these ingredients ready.
** To Prepare Scrambled Eggs : In a thick bottomed kadai heat 1 tblsp of oil, when hot lower the heat, immediately break in eggs into the kadai back to back. If not comfortable with this method, you can break eggs into a bowl and then pour it in kadai too. See to it that you don’t drop in the egg shell pieces. This needs practice, so be careful.
** Now add in a pinch of salt and pepper powder, just for taste and mix well. Now raise the heat to medium and keep stirring continuously, breaking the egg mixture into pieces. That’s scrambling the eggs, this does not take much time. Do not overcook the eggs as they should remain soft and just cooked or they will turn rubbery and lose on taste.
** Finally add in a few drops of oil on top of the scrambled eggs and mix well so that the oil coats them evenly. I do this to ensure that on mixing with the rice later the eggs to not stick to the rice, also it gives a glaze to the eggs that is just so beautiful. When done, remove from fire into a plate and keep it aside to be added on later.
** Now in the same kadai/ pan, add in the remaining oil, you can increase if you like as fried rice does taste great when done so, but I have avoiding it. When the oil is hot, keep the flame high and add in the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and keep tossing/ stirring on high heat for about a minute or two. Do not let them burn but at the same time use high heat.
** Immediately add in capsicum and carrot pieces and continue tossing/ stirring on high heat for one minute and then you can lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for another minute or so. High heat arrests the water content in the veggies and allows it to cook from within, which is what we precisely want in preparation of fried rice to keep it crisp.
** Now turn the heat high and once again toss all for another minute, then lower the heat and add on the prepared and kept rice, salt to taste, soya sauce, vinegar and mix well. Use gentle tossing method and do not use vigorous methods or the rice may break. Finally add in the scrambled eggs, mix well, lower the heat, cover and cook on steam for 5 minutes.
** “Egg Fried Rice” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served with veg. or non.Veg Manchurian another hit Chinese dish that often gets paired with fried rice. This time I did prepare veg. Manchurian which I will post after this post, so kindly to check out on the same too. You can also serve with any chicken curry or egg curry of your choice too.
** Fried Rice is a favorite dish of almost all, especially children who are always otherwise fussy to eat rice. You can add in plenty of any veggies chopped fine and scrambled eggs to prepare a healthy version of egg fried rice with very little oil on a non stick pan and serve them the same. You can also add in scrambled pieces of cooked chicken to the same.
** Note : This is my Indian method of preparing fried rice, which I always found to give best results. The Chinese method varies as they use high heat and lot of oil to stir the ingredients so that they do not stick to each other. If you notice after you eat the hotel prepared fried rice there is always plenty of oil leftover on the served plate which is really not good for health.
** Some little compromises in tastes etc. have to be made in life to lead a healthier lifestyle. That is the very reason I do not add aji-no-motto to any of my Chinese dish preparations. You may add if you like in which case, just add ¼ or lesser quantity while you stir in the veggies on high heat. It is believed to retain the color of the veggies as well as impart flavor.
** Sharing a common link to few posts of fried rice shared in my Blog. Will try to share in more variations of fried rice soon, till then enjoy this one with your family and friends, and do check out the link shared below, it does include lots of step by step picture for proper understanding of the dish… Stay Safe, Stay Blessed.
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