Cookbook:Fried Rice (disambiguation)

Fried rice is a popular dish made of stir-fried rice. It originated in China as a way to use up leftover rice, but it has since spread across East and Southeast Asia.^[1] There are now many variants throughout the world.

Characteristics

Composition

All fried rice revolves around a base of cooked rice (ideally leftover refrigerated rice) and oil.^[1] In addition to these, various aromatics, vegetables, proteins, and condiments are added to build out the rice, with the precise components depending on the cuisine/culture and the ingredients the cook has on hand. Among vegetables, peas, corn, bean sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, mushroom, and pickled vegetables are common inclusions. Common aromatics include onion, shallot, scallion, garlic, and ginger. Proteins include fried tofu, scrambled or fried egg, marinated meats, seafood, and cured/dried meats. Note that your proteins should be pre-cooked before incorporation into the dish. Common seasonings include pepper, chile or chile sauce, MSG, oyster sauce, soy sauce, curry powder, miso, and wine.

In Indonesia, fried rice is called nasi goreng and often incorporates shrimp paste and chiles.^[1] Chinese-American fried rice is typically seasoned with a dark soy sauce base,^[1] featuring onion, garlic, carrots, peas, and a protein of choice. Filipino fried rice may incorporate dried fish and meat.^[1]

Techniques

Ingredients

It is recommended to use rice left in the fridge overnight,^[2] as it is drier and will prevent your dish from becoming overly sticky. Leftover rice works perfectly. Generally, fried rice is a very adaptable dish and can accommodate a range of ingredients to the cook's preference. Make sure everything is in bite-size pieces or smaller.

Cooking

Most fried rice recipes will typically follow the same basic steps. First, any ingredients that require pre-cooking (e.g. scrambled egg, meats, etc) are prepared and set aside. Oil is then heated in a wok or frying pan over medium heat—you want enough oil to keep everything from sticking together, but not so much that the dish feels greasy.^[1] Aromatics are added first and cooked, followed by the addition of vegetables from longest-cooking to shortest-cooking. The rice, seasonings, and remaining pre-cooked ingredients are added, and everything is tossed together until well mixed and heated through. Finally, any ingredients that should not be cooked are added last.

The best way to cook fried rice is with a well-seasoned wok and a sizeable flame, which allows for the proper heating and tossing to develop the best flavor and texture.^[3]^[4]

Recipes

References

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Trang, Corinne (2003). Essentials of Asian cuisine : fundamentals and favorite recipes. Internet Archive. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-0312-8.
↑ "The Low-Down on Chinese Fried Rice". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
↑ Judy (2020-11-22). "Golden Fried Rice (黄金炒饭)". The Woks of Life. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
↑ Ko, Hungtang; Hu, David L. (2020-02). "The physics of tossing fried rice". Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 17 (163): 20190622. doi:10.1098/rsif.2019.0622. ISSN 1742-5689. PMC 7061713. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: PMC format (link)

[:0-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Trang, Corinne (2003). Essentials of Asian cuisine : fundamentals and favorite recipes. Internet Archive. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-0312-8.

[2] "The Low-Down on Chinese Fried Rice". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 2024-07-29.

[3] Judy (2020-11-22). "Golden Fried Rice (黄金炒饭)". The Woks of Life. Retrieved 2024-07-29.

[4] Ko, Hungtang; Hu, David L. (2020-02). "The physics of tossing fried rice". Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 17 (163): 20190622. doi:10.1098/rsif.2019.0622. ISSN 1742-5689. PMC 7061713. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: PMC format (link)

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