Fried rice done right!

You may have seen these viral vids recently criticizing fried rice by Uncle Roger. I was just as disgusted watching these chefs because fried rice is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's seriously easy to make and very hard to screw up. It isn't fancy and pretentious, it's basically a way to use leftovers. Most importantly, it's a delicious comfort food!

First enjoy these hilarious critiques, and find my version of fried rice below. I think Uncle Roger would be pleased to taste mine!




This is my spread:

leftover rice (cold, work out the clumps with your hands)
garlic
shallots (to pretend I'm fancy)
frozen peas and carrot mix
water chestnuts (sometimes I can find them diced in the can, otherwise use a knife)
green onion
mung bean sprouts
scrambled eggs
meat of choice: 1/4 inch cubed beef (shrimp goes great too)

I'm not going to lay down how much of each ingredient to use because my tastes differ from yours. Use more of what you like. Don't use what you don't like. Try different substitutions and variations.



Add the shallots/onion to the pan first with some sesame oil, salt and pepper, and high heat. The key to all this is high heat! Add your garlic on top and give them a couple minutes to get going. Keep them moving. Every step requires ingredients keep moving so as not to burn, so don't wander too far from your stove while cooking.




Add in ingredients based on what's going to take longer to cook (duh!) In this case it will be the peas & carrots and water chestnuts. I find it easier to do my eggs and meat separately and set aside, but there are plenty of vids and guides out there on how to start with the meats and eggs to build upon in the pan. I add some asian chili sauce to bring a bit of heat in this step.




Once the vegies are good, add in the rice and fold for a couple of minutes to mix and heat up. Then you will be adding soy sauce and spices to give it some flavor and color. There's a lot of different ways to approach this step, but I just use soy sauce and a pre-mixed flavor packet. You can also add a little bit of dried chicken stock + soy sauce to achieve the same thing.

Now you can add in your eggs and meat (if they've been pre-cooked) to warm back up. Then add in your softer ingredients at the very end. Give a few tosses here and there until everything's had a chance to heat up and soften up.



It's pretty good

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Nice.... I just got my zojirushi induction this am. Im about to have left over rice for days. I made basmati. Outstanding! Every westerner should embrace the rice cooker.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

That looks incredible!!
Very nice thread and great job...I am stealing this recipe!!

Hahahahaha that video is awesome. Uncle roger is my new spirit animal

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I like your version and you did a great job with the details and pictures.
Look tasty and colorful....a keeper recipe.
Thanks!!!!

Man I like your thread very much fried rice is my nickname actually here.
I read your thread but I read a pretty fast but two things that you also need to make fried rice is one is your cooking sake and the other one is you need sesame oil to really get that Oriental flavor in your fried rice the sesame oil you add after your after everything's done cooking really and it just add whatever suits your taste and then mix it up of course you use salt and pepper.

And now I'm hungry for fried rice but not going to have it son of a gun.

a reply to: musicismagic

Sesame oil is wonderful!
When I make homemade Italian dressing, I add some sesame to the olive oil to give it a deeper flavor.

So, yeah....it would be an important flavor for fried rice....as long as it is already in the pantry,.

a reply to: musicismagic

Sesame oil or sure!

Salt and pepper on the onion/ garlic step.

Salt and pepper with meat and eggs.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I like to add a splash of plum vinegar and chopped candied orange peels sometimes

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Some different ideas on how to get to the finish.

One is to coat each grain of rice with eggs (I remember seeing this on Simply Ming.

The other is to scramble the eggs as another step.

Who cares!!

Both taste good! You just have to use a less sodium forward soy sauce like my fave (a fermented variety), Yamasa (yeah, yeah, Japanese on Chinese food is wrong... seriously, try it first!).

Fried rice is very good and is a basis of our local cuisine. We make a casserole with pie crust, salmon, bacon, basically fried rice, and a few other herbs and spices that is served with... ketchup!! The best thing that you ever had!!)

Let the controversy begin!!

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

So that’s why my fried rice always comes out kinda moist? I guess is the best way of explaining it. I’ll make the rice the night before. Thanks for the tip!

yes it's better to cook the egg separately and then add them on at the end of the finish and as far as sesame seed oil goes add it very lightly because if you put too much it spoils it it ruins it it kills it as a matter of fact it ends up going in the garbage can...

originally posted by: Somethingsamiss
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

So that’s why my fried rice always comes out kinda moist? I guess is the best way of explaining it. I’ll make the rice the night before. Thanks for the tip!

Definitely don't use just-made rice for fried rice. You'll have to let it cool to room temp at least. I refrigerate mine the night before and go into the pan cold. Also, placing warm rice in the freezer for an hour or two is an alternative if you're pressed for time.

Make sure you fry using high heat to eliminate moisture from rice and other ingredients.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Looks delish mate !

Just to add; if you are making it from scratch, be sure to thoroughly rinse your rice to remove the starch, or it will be gluggy.

Hungry now ...

originally posted by: Timely
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Looks delish mate !

Just to add; if you are making it from scratch, be sure to thoroughly rinse your rice to remove the starch, or it will be gluggy.

Hungry now ...

Good to see you old boi

Thanks for adding the tip

I normaly make it with whatever I got on hand

I also like to add butter like they do at hibachi resturants

For some reason, fried rice is something I've never been able to get 'just right' when I've done it.

Love fried rice, especially curry fried rice (some call it Singapore), but as I noted I've never been able to get it just right.

I'll have to try it again after reading this.

Great thread, that is almost precisely how I make fried rice as well... really depends on what needs to be used up

I love making it with super dry 2 day old leftover rice, I make mine in a pan and never refrigerate it, so the rice tends to get much drier.

I like adding baby corns as well as the water chestnuts

leftover bulgogi and some kimchi makes amazing Korean fried rice also

Uncle mentions MSG, what's MSG?

a reply to: Cropper

Mono sodium glutamate

Usually used in Chinese cooking as a meat tenderiser.
It is generally frowned upon, healthwise.