Indian-Spiced Fried Rice

READY IN MINUTES

By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press

Until I made fried rice I thought it was a fast, simple meal to prepare. What’s the big deal; you just grab leftover rice and bits of whatever else you have in fridge, toss them in a pan, and voila. The first time I made it, I decided not to just wing it and followed a recipe I found online. By the time I had everything ready to go—after I minced the garlic and ginger; diced the onion, chicken, peppers, and zucchini; portioned out some frozen peas and corn, cracked the egg, got the soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil ready, I came to the conclusion that fried rice isn’t so fast after all. It’s not cassoulet, granted, but it’s not scrambled eggs, either.

But the tasty result, along with the fact that it can make a meal of small quantities of leftovers that wouldn’t count for much on their own, was reason enough for me to keep making it.

The other day I was feeling a bit poorly but still needed to eat. I had some orphaned leftovers in the fridge—about a cup of jasmine rice, a steamed broccoli floret, a few small bits of roasted cauliflower and about a half of an air-fried pork tenderloin. Good makings for fried rice. But I wanted it to be very easy. Inspired by a recipe by Toni Lydecker for Indian-Spiced Fried Rice from her book “Serves One,” this time it was.

This recipe couldn’t be much simpler: sauté the rice with a small amount of onion seasoned with salt and garam masala, then serve it topped with diced tomato and cucumber.

I’m not a cucumber fan, and I didn’t have any tomatoes, so I riffed on Toni’s recipe using what I had. First I heated my leftovers with a handful of frozen peas then scrambled an egg and set them all aside, sautéed and seasoned the onions, added the rice then the reserved leftovers and egg, and I was done. It took ten to fifteen minutes from start to finish. Perhaps next time I’ll let the rice cook longer, since the recipe calls for 20 minutes cook time, but I was happy with the result I got.

I appreciated how easy this meal was to prepare and how well it used whatever ingredients I had on hand. But I also really appreciated how good it was—light and delicately flavorful without using ginger and soy. I still appreciate that traditional version of fried rice and will continue to make it; but this simpler very tasty alternative is also a keeper.

Three of the last ten #taste_budding posts have featured rice-based recipes. Each dish differed in taste, texture, and variety of rice. This fried rice was fragrant and fluffy; Lentils with Rice and Vegetables is like a creamy risotto; Himalayan Red Rice and Vegetable Pulao has a chewy texture and a nutty taste.

That’s the beauty of rice. It’s simple to cook, once you learn how. It’s inexpensive. It’s easy to find. It will stay fresh on your pantry shelf for a year or longer. It’s a good source of energy, and even the much-maligned white rice packs nutritional benefits. It’s also a staple food of many cuisines across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. I’ve heard the egg described as nature’s perfect food. Rice may not be perfect, but it sure is easy to get along with.

INDIAN-SPICED FRIED RICE

Makes 1 Serving| Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Click here to print recipe.

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil or other vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ teaspoon garam masala, or to taste (see Note)
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked basmati rice (see Note) or other long-grain rice, hot or cold
¼ cup diced cucumber
¼ cup diced tomato

PREPARATION

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, stirring often, until lightly browned. Stir in the garam masala and salt, and cook until fragrant, a few seconds.
Stir in the rice, and spread it in a thin layer over the bottom of the skillet. When the rice starts to brown, stir it and spread it out again, repeating until fried to your liking. If the rice seems to be cooking too quickly, reduce the heat or add a little water. Serve the rice with cucumber and tomato on top.

COOK’S NOTES

Garam masala is a blend of up to a dozen roasted, ground spices, including coriander, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and chiles.
Basmati, a delicate, long-grain rice, is found in Indian and Middle Eastern grocery stores and, these days, many supermarkets. I usually rinse imported basmati, checking for impurities, but I skip this step when using U.S.-grown basmati.
An easy cooking method: Stir 1/3 cup basmati rice into 1 cup boiling water and cook uncovered at a brisk simmer. Start tasting after 8 minutes; as soon as the grains are tender, drain the rice.

INDIAN-SPICED FRIED RICE RECIPE
from “Serves One” by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2005

Recipes for one that nourish the soul as well as the body that mostly call for only 10 minutes of active prep time. Many featured recipes are all-in-one meals requiring minimal cleanup—main-course salads, simple stir-fries, fresh takes on pizza and pasta, savory soups, and inventive sandwiches.

ALSO FROM SERVES ONE:
EGG NOODLES AND CABBAGE RECIPE
PENNE WITH SAVORY BROCCOLI SAUCE RECIPE
RISOTTO WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND PEAS RECIPE
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE
SPICY NOODLES WITH PORK RECIPE

OTHER BOOKS BY TONI LYDECKER:

PIATTO UNICO: WHEN ONE COURSE MAKES A FULL ITALIAN MEAL

SEAFOOD ALA SICILIANA: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM A LIVING TRADITION