You know what? Fried rice is not difficult. I have simplified the process here for those that find it difficult. You can use any type of rice, but preferable to me, long grain rice. Here I used Basmati rice which is usually recommended for diabetics or people that want to maintain a great sugar level. Two days back, I ate fried rice prepared with local rice and I didn't enjoy the taste. I prefer using local rice for banga stew or ofe akwu.
You can get it from mostly malls in cities, although few people sell it inside the local market.
Now the ingredients and steps:
Ingredients
1. Two cups of basmati rice.
2. Six sticks of Jos carrots. It is said that carrots that are grown in Jos, Plateau State Nigeria, are better as they do not spoil quickly. I prefer buying the sand-coated ones and then wash at home. The ones already washed with water spoil faster if you may have to store them for some days before using.
3. Two handfulls of green peas
4. Two large purple or white onion bulbs
5. One Big green pepper
6. 250Mg of Mushroom mixed with liver
7. Pepper to taste
9. 250 Mg of canned yellow corn
10. Two Stock cubes
11. Salt to taste.
12. Vegetable Oil
13. Thyme
14. Curry Powder [I use original Ducros curry powder]
15. Chicken
16. Garlic
Procedure
1. You first parboil your rice and set aside. Personally, I parboil mine by adding curry powder mixed with a little fried rice green-coloured spice which is sold in the market and comes in Little satchets. Once it's a bit quarter done, not even half done, I bring my pot down. Note that the quantity of water should be small so that the rice doesn't get soggy. You have to bear in mind that you will yet cook the rice with your chicken or meat sauce till the rice is done.
2. After parboiling, pour in a sieve and wash two times. Because you added the curry and fried rice green spice initially, the aroma and colour will be there. So, you may not need to add another one. But then, if you added curry powder in the chicken you spiced and boiled for the rice, you should note the quantity you add to your rice because too much colouring in fried rice is not attractive at all, rather it makes it look artificial.
3. Pour the parboiled rice in your chicken stock and cook till it's done, but let it not be too soft to avoid sogginess. Ensure to add every spice needed at this point, especially if the meat stock doesn't have enough to spice up the rice. Taste as you cook and always make sure water is same level with your rice or less. Better to gradually top water in food than allow it overflow. When your rice is done, set it aside.
5. Cut and dice your kidney/mushrooms and vegetables then set aside. Eg, carrots, green beans, celery, green pepper, etc. Note that green pepper and curry powder are the MAIN ingredients in fried rice. Without that taste of green pepper, your friend rice is just curried rice and without the yellow colour of the curry, it is just not fried rice.
NB: It's not advisable to use 'tatashi' or red bell peppers. This is because the taste will overpower that of green pepper which is our main ingredient.
6. Now, because it's called 'fried rice', you just have to fry it in little oil with the diced veggies and other stuff. First, you heat your oil in a large frying pan. Just place your frying pan on the burner, add a little olive oil or any other healthy oil. Add your diced garlic so the taste penetrates the oil. Add the diced onions, add the diced green peas before the carrots. Stir as you add. Add every other diced veggie one after the other. You may not need to add the diced liver now so as to avoid mashiness. Add stock cube and salt to taste. You can add a little coconut oil alongside the olive oil if you wish to have Coconut aroma in your rice. It's usually cool. People just need to guess if you added it or not, so you don't need too much sharp taste of any ingredient. I usually add my diced liver after dishing the rice on a plate to avoid the pot of fried rice souring on time. For sure, fried rice sours faster than jollof rice because of too much touching of ingredients during cooking.
7. Now, add a little rice to the sauteing veggies and stir mildly with wooden spoon. Do this batch by batch till you finish frying the rice. I grilled my chicken in the oven and set aside for my fried rice.
Congratulations! Your friend rice is ready.
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