Fried rice is prepared by stir-frying rice cooked with eggs, vegetables and sauce. Since you can add many types of vegetables and meat, it's a great dish for reusing leftovers. Traditionally Japanese fried rice is cooked in hibachi, a flat surface similar to a grill, but you can also use a large wok or skillet. Follow the instructions in this tutorial to learn how to prepare it.
Ingrediants
- 760 g of cooked and cold white or brown rice
- 2 scrambled eggs cut into cubes
- 80 g of peas
- 30 g of finely chopped carrots
- 100 g diced onion
- Other vegetables such as corn, edamame, peppers according to your taste
- 20 g of butter
- 30 ml of soy sauce or oysters
- 5 ml of sesame oil
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
- Meat or tofu (optional)
- Other aromas to taste
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Boil 760g of white or brown rice
Rice usually requires a ratio of 2: 1 with water. Cooking times vary according to the type of rice (white or wholemeal) and the grain (long or short). In most cases, just bring the water to a boil, add the rice, reduce the heat to let the ingredients simmer and wait 20-40 minutes (without stirring) depending on the type of rice. Consult the instructions on the package for the exact method.
- If you use jasmine rice, you can enjoy the true flavor and authentic texture of homemade Japanese fried rice. If you can't get this strain, use a long grain variety anyway.
- You can also cook it ahead of time in a slow cooker by combining boiling water and rice and then setting the timer to 3 hours of cooking.
Step 2. Place the rice in the refrigerator
The dish will work best if the rice is cold. It is worth boiling it a day in advance, but if you can't, wait several hours for it to cool.
Step 3. Cut the vegetables
Since the rice cooks very quickly over high heat, it is advisable to cut all the vegetables in advance. You can divide them into various containers based on cooking times. For example, you can combine onions, garlic and carrots together, peas and edamame together, and spices with sauces.
Step 4. Cook the scrambled eggs
Prepare them in advance by breaking two in a small saucepan, heated over medium heat. Then cut them into small pieces. You will need to add them to the rice towards the end of the preparation, but it is best to have them already cooked before proceeding with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 5. Cook all the meat you want to add to the rice
You can choose from many sources of protein such as chicken, pork loin, ham, beef or shrimp. Again, it's best to cook the meat in advance, to make sure it reaches the correct core temperature before incorporating it into the fried rice. Remember to cut it into cubes before or after "pre-cooking", so that it is ready to be stir-fried with the vegetables and rice.
Part 2 of 3: Cooking
Step 1. Heat the wok or pan
The cooking surface must be very hot before starting. It is best to use medium-high heat, depending on the type of stove and pan you have.
Step 2. Add the butter
While some recipes suggest using oil, most hibachi restaurants use butter; people who have done some experiments with different types of oil claim that the butter gives the authentic flavor of Japanese fried rice. Heat the butter to melt it, but don't let it brown.
Step 3. Brown the onions, carrots and garlic
Arrange the vegetables throughout the pan so they cook evenly. Continue stir-frying them for several minutes, until the onions begin to turn translucent.
Step 4. Incorporate the other vegetables
Add the peas, edamame, corn, and any other vegetables you have decided to use. Also consider peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, courgettes, squash, or leafy greens like kale or spinach for an even healthier dish. Continue cooking for several minutes until the toughest vegetables begin to soften.
Step 5. Add the rice over the vegetables
Pour the cold rice over the cooking vegetables and mix the ingredients evenly. Maintain medium-high heat.
Step 6. Brown the rice and vegetables
Continue cooking all the ingredients until they turn a uniform golden color. Remember to stir very often and not to make the mixture too thick by overfilling the pan.
Part 3 of 3: Final Touches
Step 1. Add the protein source and spices
When the rice has taken on a nice golden color and the vegetables are cooked, add the salt, pepper, spices, cooked and chopped eggs and cooked meat. Keep stirring as these latter ingredients also heat up and the flavors blend.
If you want to taste the traditional flavor, add the gomasio. It is a combination of salt, seaweed, sugar and sesame seeds, which you can buy in Asian supermarkets and the "ethnic food" section of grocery stores
Step 2. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and sauces (soy or oyster)
The sauces should be incorporated at the end of cooking as soon as the pan is removed from the heat.
Step 3. Divide the dish into portions
Serve the fried rice in traditional bowls or plates. It is recommended to garnish it with toasted sesame seeds or shallots and serve it with sauces such as soy or yum yum.
Step 4. Serve the rice while it is still hot
If you need to reheat leftovers, remember to do it in the wok or pan, but never in the microwave.
Advice
- Gomoku meshi is a variety of Japanese fried rice that is made by adding finely chopped chicken, carrots, fried tofu, mushrooms and burdock. The rice is then cooked with soy sauce, sake and sugar.
- The chahan is the Chinese fried rice slightly modified to make it closer to the Japanese taste; sometimes it is enriched with katsuobushi, that is, smoked and fermented tuna, which has a particular flavor.
