Do you make fried rice?

[tmarquez]

If you do, how? In detail...please...

I want to make it from scratch...not a boxed thing. My family LOVES the veggie fried rice (don't laugh) that they make at the mall.

Can you help me?

Thanks!!

 

[Imzadi]

Fried rice comes in a BOX?!?

I simply use the leftover white rice from the Chinese restaurant. You can also buy extra quarts for a dollar or two.

It's best if you rinse it and let it sit overnight in the fridge. This removes the extra starch and stops it from being sticky. You notice fried rice isn't clumpy & sticky.

Heat a non-stick skillet or stovetop wok/skillet to super hot. If you can't get the stove hot enough, it's not going to work. It also doesn't work well on an electric stove and not at all over those smooth top burners. It's better to call for Chinese delivery. You will just end up with mushy rice that in no way resembles authentic Chinese fried rice.

Add COLD vegetable oil in or peanut oil - NOT olive oil. Olive oil is not indigenous to China. You want authentic flavors, otherwise you will later say, it just doesn't taste the same. If you use olive oil, that's why.

Heat the oil now, till it's sizzling hot. Lower flame to medium high heat. Add in minced onions & garlic. When the onions turn translucent, add in your PRE-cooked diced meat. (Meat is optional.) Toss, stir. Add in your rinsed, day old rice. Stir fry some more. Add in other veggies, like beansprouts, peas, scrambled eggs. (Yes, I know eggs are not veggies. )

Keep stirring, or the rice will burn to the bottom of the pan. Add in roughly equal parts salt, soy sauce and sugar. Chinese food is always a balance of salty, sweet, bitter, sour, etc. Stir fry some more. Adjust the salt/soy/sugar to taste. It won't be as dark as the rice from a Chinese restaurant. They add an extra thick soy coloring ingredient that purposely darkens and adds a nice brown color to the dishes. It's usually only found in the Asian markets, not regular grocery stores.

Serve.

 

[busyshrew]

We make fried rice regularly. It's a leftovers thing.

So this is how we do it:

First, a few days before.... start collecting your leftover plain rice. Stick it into a container in the fridge. Collect just a bit more than you think you will want, because your family will eat more than you think!
A day or two before... save some leftover meat, or some vegetables, whatever you think will taste good. Peas, carrots, corn, diced peppers, celery, onions, zucchini are all vegetables we have used. I would avoid anything very wet, like tomatoes or eggplants. If they aren't already, dice up the veggies into pea-size bits.

To cook: in a big non-stick pan or wok, heat up a few spoonfuls of oil. I usually use a mix of safflower and sesame, but really, any mild vegetable oil will do. Do not use extra virgin olive oil, it will just taste... wrong.
When the oil is hot, you can (optionally) toss in a little bit of minced garlic and let it get golden. (we don't usually bother). Then add meat and/or vegetables and cook until hot. Add a few spoonfuls of soy sauce, then toss in the rice. Break up the rice and toss it all around until the rice is nice and hot. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, or if you like your rice "dark" add more soy sauce if you want.

If you like the bits of egg mixed in with your rice (some do, I do NOT), then: beat up an egg in a separate bowl. Push all the fried rice to the sides of the pan, and dump the egg into the frypan. Stir stir stir the egg (basically, you are "scrambling" it. Keep mixing that egg, and as the egg cooks, start stirring in a bigger and bigger circle, so that the rice mixture starts getting fluffed with the egg shreds.

That's it. Serve with soy sauce, or in our house, with ketchup, or if you are a spicy girl like me - with lots of sriracha rooster sauce on the side.

Good luck!

 

[dakcp2001]

I know you dont want a "box" version but Trader Joes has a delish frozen bag of fried rice. Might save you some time!

 

[busyshrew]

I'd almost have to agree.... we are an Asian household and so there is ALWAYS leftover rice here and there. We always have soy sauce and sesame oil, and it's just a no-work, no-brainer to make fried rice for ourselves.

But if I had to make it FROM SCRATCH? As in, cook up a batch of white rice just for the job, stick it in the fridge the day before, dice up a bunch of vegetables, .... ?? I think it would only make sense if you had a family that *loved* fried rice, and was going to eat a huge amount. Or maybe for a potluck or a family gathering?

 

[Imzadi]

Do not use extra virgin olive oil, it will just taste... wrong.

Great minds think alike.

But if I had to make it FROM SCRATCH? As in, cook up a batch of white rice just for the job, stick it in the fridge the day before, dice up a bunch of vegetables, .... ?? I think it would only make sense if you had a family that *loved* fried rice, and was going to eat a huge amount. Or maybe for a potluck or a family gathering?

I agree, it is a LOT of pre-planning. I suppose the OP can use Uncle Ben's: 5 minute, Boil in bag rice pouches and frozen diced vegetables. But, she'd still have to pre-plan & pre-cook & rinse the rice the day before and make sure it's cold from the fridge, also defrost the veggies. Any meats would have to be pre-cooked and diced, too.

 

[gregokdisney]

I make it a lot.

First, I make up a batch of white rice, using Minute Rice.

Then I pour a tablespoon or two of oil into a big frying pan and saute chopped carrots, celery, and green onion until tender. I add the rice and stir fry it all. Then I make a space in the middle, and add a beaten egg, which I scramble in there in the middle.

After it's all done, I add some soy sauce and usually I add some chicken, too.

It's delicious, easy and quick.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I make it a lot.

First, I make up a batch of white rice, using Minute Rice.

Then I pour a tablespoon or two of oil into a big frying pan and saute chopped carrots, celery, and green onion until tender. I add the rice and stir fry it all. Then I make a space in the middle, and add a beaten egg, which I scramble in there in the middle.

After it's all done, I add some soy sauce and usually I add some chicken, too.

It's delicious, easy and quick.

This is what I do, but I make rice in my rice cooker--I rinse the rice before cooking it. Usually no celery, but add peas.

 

[Silent1CB]

It just never comes out quite the way the restaurants make it.

mmmmmm, I love chinese take-out. And I plan on getting it often when DH is away.

 

[RachaelA]

I know you dont want a "box" version but Trader Joes has a delish frozen bag of fried rice. Might save you some time!

Oooh I didn't know they had something like that. I'm putting it on my list of things to pick up from there this week! Thanks!

 

[Kimberly]

Fried rice comes in a BOX?!?

I simply use the leftover white rice from the Chinese restaurant. You can also buy extra quarts for a dollar or two.

It's best if you rinse it and let it sit overnight in the fridge. This removes the extra starch and stops it from being sticky. You notice fried rice isn't clumpy & sticky.

Heat a non-stick skillet or stovetop wok/skillet to super hot. If you can't get the stove hot enough, it's not going to work. It also doesn't work well on an electric stove and not at all over those smooth top burners. It's better to call for Chinese delivery. You will just end up with mushy rice that in no way resembles authentic Chinese fried rice.

Add COLD vegetable oil in or peanut oil - NOT olive oil. Olive oil is not indigenous to China. You want authentic flavors, otherwise you will later say, it just doesn't taste the same. If you use olive oil, that's why.

Heat the oil now, till it's sizzling hot. Lower flame to medium high heat. Add in minced onions & garlic. When the onions turn translucent, add in your PRE-cooked diced meat. (Meat is optional.) Toss, stir. Add in your rinsed, day old rice. Stir fry some more. Add in other veggies, like beansprouts, peas, scrambled eggs. (Yes, I know eggs are not veggies. )

Keep stirring, or the rice will burn to the bottom of the pan. Add in roughly equal parts salt, soy sauce and sugar. Chinese food is always a balance of salty, sweet, bitter, sour, etc. Stir fry some more. Adjust the salt/soy/sugar to taste. It won't be as dark as the rice from a Chinese restaurant. They add an extra thick soy coloring ingredient that purposely darkens and adds a nice brown color to the dishes. It's usually only found in the Asian markets, not regular grocery stores.

Serve.

I do basically the same, but add scrambled eggs into the mix (you can make both at the same time). I got the idea from Benihana!

 

[krcit]

If I'm making rice sometimes I double the amount so I'll have some for fried rice. My kids love it!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My secret for fried rice is that I substitute 1/2 shaved cauliflower, and 1/2 brown rice for the white rice -- it's still fried and has lots of salt from the soy sauce but otherwise it's quite healthy. I tend to make it when I have the dregs of a roast chicken -- all the little pieces go into it. I actually think the cauliflower makes it taste better, because you have a mix of crunchier cauliflower and softer rice.

It's not exactly scratch because I'm a lazy cook -- lots of convenience foods here, but they're healthy ones (e.g. frozen veggies, jarred garlic, instant rice)

Here's how I do it.

Put a bunch of raw cauliflower in the blender, chop it up until it's the size of rice (if your kids are like mine and will only eat the "flowers" save the stems for this purpose).

Brown a bunch of garlic in some oil. Add the cauliflower "rice" to the oil, fry till it's kind of crunchy.

Meanwhile cook the "cook in a bag brown rice" according to package directions.

Add a scrambled raw egg or two, cook it up.

Add the rice, lower the heat, stir and cook.

Add in some frozen diced mixed veggies, the cut up chicken from the roast.

Add lots of low salt soy sauce as you cook -- keep tasting and you'll know when it's ready.

Yummy!

 

[busyshrew]

Put a bunch of raw cauliflower in the blender, chop it up until it's the size of rice (if your kids are like mine and will only eat the "flowers" save the stems for this purpose).

Brown a bunch of garlic in some oil. Add the cauliflower "rice" to the oil, fry till it's kind of crunchy.
Yummy!

My DD and I LOVE cauliflower. This sounds so good!!!! I've never heard of this trick before..... love it when I learn new things on DIS.... Thank you.

 

[dakcp2001]

Oooh I didn't know they had something like that. I'm putting it on my list of things to pick up from there this week! Thanks!

They also sell potstickers & eggrolls that are pretty good, if you want to make a meal!

Everyone raves about the "Orange Chicken" but me & df thought it was icky. They have a good array of frozen food though, LOVE TRADER JOES!!!