I threw together some super-yummy fried rice last night that turned out so well I’m sharing my recipe here. Beyond using very dry (or even leftover) rice, the trick seems to be adding layers of flavour in at ever step possible (just like those fancy TV chefs tell you).
Start out with one cup of dry rice. Saute the dry rice in a bit of oil (just enough to coat it) to bring out a nutty flavour. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce, scraping the rice up from the bottom and stirring it in to make sure it doesn’t burn. The soy should caramelize and absorb into the rice adding yet another layer of flavour. Now add one and one quarter cups of water, stir it in and bring it to a boil. Cover the rice and let it stay on low heat for another 4 or 5 minutes, then take it off the heat altogether and let it sit for at least another 10 minutes, but preferably a half an hour.
It will be cooked after 10 minutes but It should rest for a while because all the moisture in the rice needs to absorb, otherwise it will get gloopy and not really “fry” properly.
Toss one diced red pepper and a half a cup of frozen peas into a big lightly oiled deep saute pan or wok. Saute the vegetables until the peas are unfrozen. Now add a chopped up clove of garlic, the rice and a couple more tablespoons of soy. Fry the whole thing until the rice absorbs the soy, and starts to brown a little. Make sure you keep moving it around to keep it from sticking and burning.
Remove the rice.
Now crack two eggs and a teaspoon of water into your pan. Scramble the eggs till they’re dry and golden. Add the eggs to the rice and stir it all together.
I added some big juicy shrimp, which made this all even better.