Fried rice

Fried rice is a dish of steamed rice stir-fried in a wok, often mixed with other ingredients, such as eggs, vegetables, and meat. It is sometimes served as the penultimate dish in Chinese banquets, just before dessert. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with leftover ingredients (including vegetables, meat) from other dishes, leading to countless variations.

Many popular varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In Asia, the more famous varieties include Yangzhou and Fujian fried rice. Elsewhere, most restaurants catering to vegetarian or Muslim clientele have invented their own varieties of fried rice including egg fried rice, Indonesian spicy fried rice and the ubiquitous "special fried rice". Which will be discussed in another post?

Wh- what?

Fried rice is an important component of traditional cuisine Chinese, according to historical records already existed since 4000 BC. Fried rice and then spread to Southeast Asia brought by nomads Sino-resident foreigners settled there and created local typical fried rice which is based on the difference in the spices and how to fry.  Fried rice actually comes from several properties in culture Chinese, who does not like cold food tasting and also remove the remaining food a few days earlier. Hence, the cold rice and then fried to be served back at the table.

Fried rice is a common staple in American Chinese cuisine, especially in the form sold as fast food. The most common form of American Chinese fried rice consists of some mixture of eggs, scallions, and vegetables, with chopped meat added at the customer's discretion, and usually flavoured with soy sauce instead of table salt (more typical for Chinese-style fried rice). Fried rice made in American Chinese restaurants can vary in appearance, from a dark brown appearance often seen in East Coast establishments, to a light brown appearance often seen in Midwestern American Chinese restaurants. Fried rice is also seen in other American restaurants, even in cuisines with no native tradition of the dish. The dish is also a staple of Chinese restaurants in the United Kingdom, and is very popular in the West African nations of Nigeria, Ghana and Togo, both as restaurant and as street food.


Wh- how?

Vegetable Fried rice
Ingredients
Ginger chopped finely- 1/2 " piece
Basmati rice- 1 cup
Garlic -2 cloves
Spring onion chopped- 2 tbsp
Onion chopped- 1 small
Carrot,beans and cabbage finely chopped - 2 cups
Soya sauce-3/4 tbsp
Tomato ketchup-3/4 tbsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp(or to taste)
Oil
Salt to taste.

Method

Cook rice, heat oil in a pan adds chopped ginger and garlic and sauté till raw smell leaves. Now add the spring onion and chopped onion, sauté for few minutes. Add chopped vegetables and sauté till it is just done. Now add the soya sauce, tomato sauce, pepper powder and salt to taste, mix well. Add the cooked rice and mix carefully until combined. Cook for a few minutes and switch off the stove. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve

Chicken Fried rice
Ingredients Needed:

Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Spring Onions - 1 bunch
Capsicum - 1 medium
Beans, Carrot and Cabbage - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Ajinomoto - 1/4 tsp
Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
For Chicken
Boneless Chicken - 250 gms
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala / Green Chili Sauce / Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Clean and soak rice for 15 mins. Cook the rice in a non stick pan with 4 & 1/2 cups of water. Chop all vegetables finely. Onion bulbs can be chopped as circles. The stock is saved to be used for garnish at the final stage. Rest of the vegetables can be chopped finely. Heat a wok or Kadai. Wok works out best as you an flip the vegetables to come directly in touch with flame, which brings out the characteristic smoky effect. Add 2 tbsp of Oil, to this add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add chopped spring onions. Fry well, then add all the chopped vegetables. Sauté well with the flame high, tilt the kadai to a side and let the vegetables catch the flames. The moment the vegetable in oil gets burnt you can smell the charred or smoky smell. Tilt it back and keep sautéing till the vegetables are crisp and cooked. This dish requires the vegetables to be crisp and not over cooked. Then add Ajinomoto, salt and Soya sauce. Sauté well. Slowly add the cooked rice and mix well. Add the pepper powder and adjust the salt. Sprinkle the spring onion stocks over the rice.

Pressure cook the chicken, along with salt to taste, turmeric powder and Ginger Garlic paste. Once it is done, remove the bones and keep the boneless chicken pieces aside. We normally don't add water for pressure cooking as chicken will let out water.  Heat a pan with oil, add chili paste/ red chili powder, whichever you are going to use. Sauté in the chicken pieces, sprinkle pepper powder and garam masala if you are going to use that. Once it is dry, add the chicken pieces to the rice.

Chilly Cauliflower or Chilly Gopi

Chilly Gopi is an Indian Chinese cuisine. Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. The Indian Chinese cuisine is said to have been developed by the small Chinese community that has lived in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for over a century. Today, the Chinese food has become an integral part of the Indian culinary scene. It is also enjoyed by Indian and Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore and North America.

Wh-what? The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Calcutta and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Calcutta stands at approximately 2,000. Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, the dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine, such as Chicken Manchurian, bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.

People of Chinese origin mostly live in India's only Chinatown located around Tereti Bazar and Bowbazar area which has since been relocated to Tangra, Calcutta. Most of these immigrants were Hakka. Chinatown in India still boasts a number of Chinese restaurants specializing in Hakka cuisine and Indian Chinese variants.

Foods tend to be flavoured with spices such as cumin, coriander seeds, and turmeric, which with a few regional exceptions, such as Hunan and Xinjiang, are traditionally not associated with much of Chinese cuisine. Hot chilli, ginger, garlic and yogurt are also frequently used in dishes. This makes Indian Chinese food similar in taste to many ethnic dishes in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, which have strong Chinese and Indian cultural influences.

Non-staple dishes are by default served with generous helpings of gravy, although they can also be ordered "dry" or "without gravy". Culinary styles often seen in Indian Chinese fare include chilli (implying hot and batter-fried), Manchurian (implying a sweet and salty brown sauce), and Szechwan (implying a spicy red sauce). These correspond only loosely, if at all, with authentic Chinese food preparation.

Wh-how? Cauliflower can be easily prepared by following this recipe:  

ingredient 

- 1 Onions 

- 3 Green Chillies 

- 2-3 cut into two lengthwise)Chilli sauce Gram Flour 

Directions : 

1) Mix together gram flour, little chilly powder, salt, a pinch of asafoetida and make a thick batter.

2) Dip the florets into it and deep fry in oil. Keep the aside.

3) Heat a little oil in a frying pan.

4) Add onions and green chillies and saute, till the onions turn into light golden brown.

5) Add chilli sauce and saute for 2 mins.

6) Add the fried florets and mix well.:- Chilli Gobi is ready. :- Serve Chilli Gobi hot.