An ‘I won’t go the shops’ Fried Rice

It’s deciding what’s for dinner that’s the hardest part. I personally love asking my friends what they’re cooking for dinner that night. Hearing her answer ALWAYS gets my ideas flowing again. Just to get out of my own head for a minute and share the load is such a relief. 

So here I am, sharing with you ONE simple dinner idea from my last week that will hopefully jumpstart your brain and get you feeling inspired. Inspired not by the brilliance, but inspired by the simplicity! 

Let’s get straight into it: This week, it’s Fried Rice.

There are so many things I love about fried rice, but at the top of the list is how tasty and moreish it is. Can anyone stop at just one bowl?!? You can always make this with minimal ingredients (no last minute trips to the shops required – nobody needs that), and you can make it as simple or as complicated as you’d like! The beauty of this meal is the endless flexibility it offers.

The 3 secrets to the best fried rice

I have a few secret tricks that I’ve picked up and adapted along the way, so read on. Or, if you have your tried and true version of fried rice, then off you go, with your dinner idea for tomorrow night! 

Yes, I said tomorrow night, and NOT tonight. The only way you can make a good fried rice is if you already have leftover rice in your fridge right now. Because that is trick number 1.

TRICK 1: Always make fried rice from cold, leftover rice. It is the only way to have beautifully separate, oil coated grains. If you try to cook the rice and then fry it up the same day you will get a sticky rice, not a fried rice.

The added benefit is that when you leave rice to cool, the starch becomes resistant starch, which means that (even if you reheat it), that rice acts as a prebiotic in your gut (prebiotic = food for the good bacteria in your gut). This is compared to rice just acting as a starch when eaten straight after cooking. Not that this is a bad thing, please don’t misunderstand. I’m NOT saying to not eat freshly cooked rice (that’s delicious too!), but waiting for that rice to cool overnight before making that fried rice is a good idea beyond just the grains not sticking together. 

TRICK 2: Use any and all vegetables, cooked leftovers and any protein. 

TRICK 3: I got this one from a dear friend, Georgia from Stirring Change. Come a bit closer, I have to whisper it to you. Ready?

Add a glug of maple syrup to your fried rice right before serving. Seriously. The flavour combination of sweet and savoury is good with EVERYTHING, so don’t forget it here. 

I never used to do this, but the first time I did, my 6 year old would not stop raving about how delicious it was. I didn’t tell him my secret ingredient, but I’m DEFINITELY going to continue. It’s not a lot of maple syrup. It’s just enough to give that hint of contrast to the delicious saltiness of regular fried rice. 

BONUS TRICK FOR FUSSY EATERS: I have one child who is still learning to like a fully loaded fried rice, so I amend his to just egg fried rice. I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t easy for me, but since I am cooking all the elements separately, I can easily stir some of the cooked egg into the rice first, then serve up his portion. Then I mix everything together for everyone else.

You can amend this for whatever your fussy eater’s needs are. Whatever food they’ll accept mixed into their fried rice, just cook that bit separately.

I do make sure to ‘accidentally’ put a bit of the other stuff into this serving. Even just a few pieces to de-sensitise him! I don’t even mind if he picks them out because he used to completely refuse a dish if it had an element he didn’t like! This is progress. When dealing with your picky eater… go slow and accept their baby steps.

The framework for making GREAT Fried Rice. 

There are four stages to making great fried rice

1. Cook your eggs
2. Cook your vegetables
3. Fry the leftover rice (it MUST be cold from the fridge)
4. Combine it all

The detailed method for making fried rice:

1. Make sure you have cooled, leftover rice in your fridge.
2. Cook your scrambled eggs. I like to cook it like a flat omelet and chop it into little pieces. Remove from pan and set aside
3. Chop up all the random bits of vegetables from your fridge and either steam or sauté. I do this step in the Thermomix while I cook the egg on the stovetop. I always include carrot and onion, and bacon if I have it. Zucchini, fennel, peas, snow peas… anything! On the Thermomix I use the Cookidoo recipe for ‘Chinese-style stir-fried vegetables
4. Now, add some fresh fat to your frying pan or wok (don’t skimp here. Be generous) and use your hands to break up the cold rice and sprinkle it into the pan. Break up any remaining clumps with a spatula. 
5. Move the rice around in the hot pan until every grain is glossy and hot. Add a generous pinch of salt and a plug of tamari or soy sauce.
6. Now look around for any leftover proteins you need to use up – tuna, chicken, cooked steak. Cut them into little pieces and toss them in toward the end and heat through.
7. Tip in your sautéed vegetables, the eggs, and the secret ingredient – a plug of maple syrup!
8. Taste and adjust seasoning – you want it to be super savoury with a hint of “oh, what’s that?” (It’s the maple syrup!).
9. Serve with a drizzle of sesame oil and stir through any greens you have lying around.
10. Optional fanciness: Top with a sprinkle of toasted nuts and seeds. 

So there you have it… A super easy mid-week meal using up what you’ve got lying around.