Vegetable Fried Rice

 

A freak courgette  - but still great for vegetable fried rice.

 

I was visiting a friend the other day when his teenage son was set the task of cooking Vegetable Fried Rice for the family's evening meal. The recipe he had to work from (from a junior cookbook) was rather inadequate. It included carrots, which don't work well in stir-fries unless you cut them into very small dice or strips. It also seemed to be a bit low on flavouring ingredients.

So I thought I'd put up the recipe I use, which is versatile, easy and tasty.

I don't have a picture of it, so I have put up a good ingredient for it instead, in a cute accidental double form which I grew last year.

 

 

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE
(dinner for two)

Ingredients

250g rice
2-3 T light oil for frying
3-4 cloves garlic
thumbnail-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion or 3 spring onions
Vegetables suitable for stir-frying
(e.g. capsicums, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus,
courgettes, green beans, sugarsnap peas, bean sprouts, leafy greens),
sliced or chopped into small pieces
3-4 T soy sauce (shoyu)
1 t chilli oil
1-2 t mushroom or other flavouring sauce
1/2 t salt
1 or 2 eggs (optional)
1 T sesame oil
spring onions OR fresh coriander, to garnish


Method

Cook the rice by the absorption method.
Let it cool and fluff up the grains.
Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger.
Heat 2 T of oil in a large wok, and stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 1 minute (do not brown).
Add the rest of the chopped veges, and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and stir fry for 1 minute, tossing in the hot oil.
Add the soy sauce, chilli oil, flavouring sauce and salt, and stir fry 1 minute, mixing well.
Break in the egg(s), if using, and mix them through until cooked.
Remove the wok from the heat.
Sprinkle the sesame oil over the dish and toss.
Garnish with sliced spring onion OR chopped coriander leaves and serve.