Hot Garlic Fried Rice

This is one of my favorite ways of using up leftover rice especially when I am in the mood for something oriental and delicious to eat, but am not in the mood to do like an elaborate meal. I usually add whatever ingredients I have at home, but during the times when I plan out a proper Chinese or Thai menu then I prepare the recipe from scratch. The addition of the garlic and the red chilli flakes makes it a good alternative to the regular chinese fried rice. 

Hot Garlic Fried Rice

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups

Garlic paste 1 tbsp.

Finely chopped garlic 1 tbsp.

Red Chilli Flakes – 1 tsp (Can be added more according to taste)

Onion, round thin slices - 1 cup

Carrot, finely chopped - 1/4 cup

Capsicum, finely chopped - 1/4 cup

Spring onion – 1/8 cup (for garnish)

Soya sauce- 3 tbsp

Chili Garlic sauce - 1 tbsp

Vinegar – 1 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp; Or use sesame oil – 2 tbsp which gives off a beautiful fragrance

Salt - To taste

Method

1.Pick, wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.

2. Boil water, add rice and a little salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, till rice is tender.

3. Drain. Add cold water. Drain again.

4.Keep in an open pot and use only after completely cooled. Using one day old rice is a better method because fresh rice is usually more sticky and it is also a good way of using up leftover rice.

5. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan with high edges. Add the garlic paste, chopped garlic and red chili flakes. Fry lightly.

6. Add the onion, carrot, capsicum, and salt. Stir fry over a high flame for 3 minutes.

7. Add the rice, Soya sauce and chili garlic sauce. Stir fry over a high flame for 3 minutes.

8. Garnish with spring onion

Variation: The recipe above is the way the recipe should be followed; however, I have adapted this recipe based on convenience; 

I start off with whisking 2-3 eggs with salt and red chilli and then making like a scrambled omelette which I then keep aside. Then I follow the above recipe but I always use sesame oil and leftover rice, adding whatever ingredients are at home which are mostly onions and K&N chicken chunks. I add one chicken cube with the soya sauce to give it some added taste and then add the omelette when the rice is hot enough.