Fried Rice is surprisingly easy to make. You don’t need any specialized cookware-a large fry pan works as well as a wok. You also don’t need fancy sauces or unusual vegetables, although you can certainly add those if you wish to make it more interesting. It’s a fantastic way to use up any manner of leftovers-meat, veggies, or rice. I serve it about once a week.
Here’s a formula for homemade fried rice. I say formula rather than recipe because I’m not including specific ingredients (except for the rice, egg and soy sauce) or amounts. Instead, I’m providing ingredient classes and amount ranges so you can choose the actual ingredient that suits your tastes or current stock.
Here is the basic formula for 4 servings:
1 egg
4 to 6 cups cooked rice (either white or brown, your choice) I find it is generally better to use leftover rice; if you don’t have any leftover and need to make it fresh, I strongly suggest making it a bit on the dry side and letting it cool a bit before using it. You don’t want an overly sticky rice because it will end up mushy.
1/2 to 1 cup chopped vegetables
1/4 to 1/2 lb. diced or chopped meat (cooked or raw, both work)
2-5 tablespoons oil (this varies depending upon the amount of rice you use and whether or not your meat is raw)
Soy sauce to taste.
So there it is: 6 basic ingredients. Here’s how to prepare it:
Heat large pan (enough to hold all your rice!) to medium-high heat. Scramble egg, and when pan is hot, add about 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat the pan, then add the egg. If you are able, make it a very thin omelet; if not, just make a quick scramble, careful not to overcook. Remove egg from pan.
Add a little more oil if needed, and either cook or reheat your meat. Remove from pan.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of oil, let it heat up, and then add your rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly until all of the rice is heated through, generally 4-8 minutes. Add veggies and let them heat up as well. If you made your egg an omelet, slice it thinly and once your veggies are heated through, add the egg and meat back to the pan. Stir everything together and sprinkle with soy sauce to taste or look (meaning, until it ‘looks’ like fried rice). Ta-da! You’re done!
When I make this, I usually double the above amounts. I always try to make enough of any meal for my lunch and/or afterschool snacks the following day. The most favorite variation of this in my home includes frozen peas & carrots as the veg and pork (usually leftover from chops or a roast, diced and coated with sweet & sour sauce) as the meat. For the meat, I’ll usually cook the meat and sauce until the sauce sort of caramelizes on the outside of the meat, otherwise the flavor just mixes in with the rice and gets diluted.
