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how to fry rice

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Seafood

Tuna Fried Rice.

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Probably not the dish that comes to mind when you think about fried rice, but I urge you to give this one a try. Quick, tasty and very satisfying. The perfect combination in my humble opinion yea. Before we get started I must urge you to follow along with the video below as I mistakenly deleted the images for the step by step process from my camera. The few images I have are from my phone.

You’ll Need…

3 1/2 cups precooked chilled rice
1 can tuna (in water – drained)
3/4 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 medium onion (diced)
6-8 green beans (chopped)
2 cloves or garlic (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup chopped chives
5-8 cherry tomato

Notes! Please go through the list of ingredients to review for dietary restrictions. Add chopped hot peppers or some peppersauce should you want this dish spicy. I had my fried rice with the pineapple peppersauce (I shared a while back) on the side

May I recommend that you prep all the ingredients before starting as this is a QUICK dish to put together. I used a wok, but you may use any pan you prefer. Using a non-stick pan will mean you can cut back on the amount of oil needed. Also keep in mind that my rice was cooked in salted water and the sauces we’ll add will also have a sodium element to them. Basically you won’t need to add any further salt – but do taste at the end and adjust.

Start with the wok on a medium flame and add the oil, diced onion, garlic, green beans and black pepper. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the tuna and add it to the wok at this point, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes, before adding the light soy, oyster and mushroom flavored soy sauce (any dark soy sauce will work, but I’m a huge fan of the mushroom one).

As I’ve mentioned in previous fried rice recipes, the key to a grainy (shelly) fried rice, is using day old chilled rice. In my case I had leftover boiled parboiled brown rice from the night before. Use your fav rice. After 2 minutes of adding the sauces to the wok, it’s time to add the rice and mix well.

Basically all you need to do at this point is heat through the rice and you’re done. So 3 to 4 minutes later top with the chives and cherry tomato. Yea that tomato will rock in here.

The residual heat will warm though the chives to give the completed tuna fried rice a lovely onion/garlic finish. You’ll find that the ‘pop’ from the warmed cherry tomatoes will be delightful.

Seafood

Pepper Shrimp Fried Rice.

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In previous recipes I’ve shared why we have such a strong Chinese influence on the culinary landscape of the Caribbean. Especially in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana and the other islands of the region where the decedents of Chinese indentured laborers call home. As the title suggest, this is a SPICY dish and it’s based on the original recipe for making Pepper Shrimp I shared back in 2017.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp (cleaned)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 tablespoon corn starch
Oil for frying the Shrimp (veg oil – 2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
7 cloves garlic (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 HOT pepper (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 medium bell pepper (diced)
2 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Notes! The rice was cooked in salted water. I used Tamari but any light Soy sauce will work. For the heat I used a Fatalii pepper, typically I’d use a combination of Scotch Bonnet and Fatalii, however not everyone can handle as much heat. That said, use any of your fav hot peppers and in the amounts you can handle. Should you not have the Mushroom Soy Sauce, you may use any dark Soy Sauce.

The first step is to prep and fry the shrimp. Place your clean and deveined shrimp in a bowl, add the salt, black pepper and Tamari. Stir well, then add the corn starch and stir to coat.

I used a wok but you may use any pot or frying pan you prefer. Fry the shrimp on a medium heat for 1 minute then remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess oil. Yes shrimp cooks quickly and I’d hate for you to overcook these. Plus they will cook further later on.

I reserved 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil I used in frying the shrimp, in the same wok and had it on a medium flame. To that I added the onion, garlic and bell pepper. To avoid the garlic burning I turn the heat down a little and cooked it for 2 minutes. At this point I added my hot pepper (seeds too) and gave everything a good mix. Be sure to vent your kitchen or the frying Fatalii pepper (whatever pepper you use) will trigger breathing problems (I choked).

As soon as the pepper heats up and starts releasing it’s heat (about 2-3 minutes), I went in with the previously fried shrimp and tossed to coat with that lovely peppery based we made.

After 2-3 minutes I pushed the shrimp to one side of the wok and added the chilled (previous cooked) rice.

On the rice I added the Hoisin and Mushroom Soy sauces, as well as the sesame oil. Gave it a good mix, then I mixed in the pepper shrimp to combine.

Once everything is combined it’s time to taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I explained why I didn’t any salt (besides in the shrimp) in the video below. I allowed it to cook for another 2-3 minutes to make sure the rice heats through and the flavors all have an opportunity to combine.

As I turned off the stove I added the chives and parsley and stirred! You’re DONE! Finishing with the chives gave me a lovely bright garlic/onion ending flavor.

Vegetarian

Garden (vegetable) Fried Rice.

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With an abundance of vegetables in my garden (last summer), it was only natural that I made this incredible vegetable fried rice when I came across some leftover rice in the fridge. I’m a huge fan of rice, that combined with the ability to put what I’ve grown into a dish, Uncle Chris was a very happy fella.

You’ll Need…

3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1 medium onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cups chopped swiss chard
2 cups chopped kale
2 okra (chopped)
4 yard beans (bodi, bora) (cut into pieces)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 chili peppers (chopped)

  • feel free to add any of your favorite vegetables.

Wash and prep the vegetables. (watch the video below).

Heat the oil on medium flame in a wok or pot of your choice.

Add the onion, bodi and stems of the chard and kale as those are the more tough vegetables. Grate in the ginger, toss in the chili pepper (bird’s eye) and add the crushed garlic. Stir well.

Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the okra and sesame oil and stir well. Now add the leafy parts of the Chard and Kale. It may seem like a lot, but it will wilt down.

Add the Chinese Cooking Wine, Hoisin, dark Soy Sauce and light Soy Sauce. Mix!

As I’ve mentioned in past Fried Rice recipes, try to make sure the rice is cool or chilled (for a more grainy finish) . Fold in the rice, warm through and you’re done. Yes the rice was cooked in salted water, plus the 2 different soy sauces we used will be enough salt for me. Taste and adjust (add salt) if you wish.

Lunch for Two is DONE! Feel free to add more rice and make it a complete family meal. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Pepper Pork Fried Rice.

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Somehow it seems that Caribbean People always got some leftover rice in a ‘butter dish’ (any plastic reusable container) in the fridge. And after filming the Tantalizing Pepper Pork video demo, I thought.. why not a fried rice for lunch. BTW old school Caribbean use the term “butter dish” as back in the day, margarine and butter came in plastic containers with lids and we’re famous for repurposing such containers. There’s always one or 10 in my parent’s fridge with leftover food.

You’ll Need…

2-3 cups pre cooked rice (chilled)
1 – 1 1/2 cups pepper pork (small pieces)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
2 scallion (chopped)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced)
1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

This is a very quick dish to put together, so may I recommend that you have all the ingredients prepared in advance.

Heat the oil on medium flame in your wok or frying pan, then add the onion and garlic, stir and cook until you start seeing brown edges on the garlic (1-2 minutes). The goal is to NOT burn the garlic.

Add he pork (cut into skinny small pieces) to the pot and stir to heat through and to take on more flavor from the garlic and onion.

I had a couple Wiri Wiri peppers left from cooking the Pepper Pork, so I added them to the pot (OPTIONAL) to give the dish more KICK!

3 minutes later add the sesame oil and oyster sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Toss in the rice and top with the mushroom soy sauce.

Mix everything well and heat through. Finish with the chopped scallions and enjoy.

Feel free to add cabbage, bell pepper, bean sprouts, carrots etc if you wish to use up what you’ve got in the fridge or to simply personalize this fried rice to your liking. The rice was cooked in salted water and chilled. Chilled rice will give you a more grainy fried rice and prevent the mushy texture so many of us dislike.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Turkey Fried Rice.

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If you’re always looking for ways to make use of leftover turkey, you’ll want to peep this recipe. This Turkey Fried Rice is now a tradition (along with Turkey Soup) in my home and to be honest with you, I don’t mind. It’s quick, easy to prepare, packed with flavor and very comforting overall.

You’ll Need…

  • 1 tablespoon pepper oil (optional – use any oil)
  • 1 stalk celery (diced)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper (diced)
  • 2 1/2 cups diced turkey (cubed)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
  • 2 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 1/2 carrot (grated)
  • 4 drops sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 scallion (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
  • celery tops

Tip. Day old rice (chilled), works best for fried rice. I don’t like eggs (made for breakfast IMHO) in fried rice, but you can add it and anything else you like in your fried rice. You can add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce if you want the finished rice darker.

Prep the ingredients (try to have them the same size so they cook evenly) as this recipe will go fast – in under 6 minutes you’ll have a wonderful fried rice.

In a wok or non stick pan on a med/high flame, add the Pepper Oil (or any oil you have) and add the celery, onion and bell peppers, give it a stir.

Add the turkey and grate in the ginger and garlic, the carrot and mix everything well. Heat still on medium high. Go in with he Sesame oil (add more if you like the flavor… one of those things I don’t like much) and soy sauce> Stir well to combine and coat.

Add the salt (the rice was cooked in salted water) and oyster sauce, then add the rice. Remember, chilled rice will give you a more grainy texture when the dish is finished.

As soon as the rice heats through and everything is combined, you’re done! Note – if you add dark soy sauce as suggested above, remember to adjust the salt accordingly as the soy will bring that sodium element.

Top with the celery tops and scallions. Turn off the stove. Note the pepper oil will give it a gentle kick. A classic one pot fried rice, using stuff you may want to get rid off in your fridge.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/