Simple Fried Rice

One of my cousins was asking me for some easy rice dishes that she could whip up in few minutes after coming home from work. I generally make only easy rice baths, but this recipe I got to say, beats the race for easiness. According to me, the only next easiest thing to cook is plain rice :)

It virtually has no masala, but yet is so unbelievably tasty. And it’s healthy too!! 

This recipe is for those days when you just want to chill and not bother much about cooking but still want to eat something healthy and tasty....

I got this recipe from my friend’s mother-in-law. 

 

Ingredients

Cooked Rice

Vegetables

   finely cut Carrot and Beans

   Peas

   Cabbage (Absolutely optional. This alters the taste of the rice. So those who don’t like it can skip it. My daughter hates it, so I don’t add it that much. I've used red cabbage in the picture above) 

I generally use the mixed vegetable bag(That way, I don’t even have to cut the vegetables:).

Masala(....not!)

   Salt and Pepper(1/2 tsp or depending upon your taste)

Method

Cook rice, fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.

Add little oil in a pan. Add the vegetables and saute it on high heat, until it is al-dente(it should be crunchy, not mushy). If you are using frozen vegetables, just saute it for couple of minutes. It won’t be crunchy. 

Add pepper and then add cooked rice. Add salt. Mix well. 

Serve it with ketchup. 

I add little olive oil in the end. It gives it a nice chinese flavor. I came across this tip in some blog, but I don’t recall which one now. But this again is completely optional. 

Aunty(who gave me the recipe) told me that white pepper works better. But she also told me that she doesn’t like the quality of white pepper available in US. So, I never tried it. I only use black pepper. 

Update - Adding a little soy sauce and some chili sauce(chinese ones that are available in Indian stores) will enhance the flavor, and makes it taste more like chinese. Sometimes I also add vinegar(rice vinegar - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp) which gives it a nice tangy flavor. If you add soy sauce, go easy on the salt.

Recipe Source - Kantha, Prathibha