MIXED FRIED RICE

This is a non veg Chinese dish. It is a delicious dish that can be served as a main dish. This dish is sure to satisfy most palates.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice (fine grained or basmati rice) - 2 cups or 200 grams
Carrots (medium size) -2
Beans - 100 grams
Capsicum (green) - 1
Spring onions (green part only) - 50 grams
Soya sauce - 1tsp
Ajinomoto (mono sodium glutamate) - 1tsp
Sunflower oil or any other white oil - 4-5 tsp
Boneless chicken meat of thin pieces ( sliced thinly) - 100 grams
Shelled prawns of small size - 50 grams
Eggs - 2

PROCEDURE
Wash rice well and soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain rice on a strainer for 1 hour. Meanwhile cut carrots into thin strips ( matchstick size ) , beans into half inch long strips, capsicum sliced thinly and further cut into half inch long pieces and chop the green part of spring onions into fingertip sizes.
In a large wok (round heavy bottomed vessal) heat 1 tsp of oil. Meanwhile in a bowl lightly beat eggs with one fourth tsp of salt. When the oil is hot lower the heat and shift in the beaten eggs. Make a thin omelet and keep it aside. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same wok and fry the prawns on lower heat for 3-4 minutes. Take the prawns out of the wok using a slotted spoon to drain out excess oil. Keep aside the prawns. Now raise the flame and reheat the same oil(add a little more oil if there is barely any oil left in the wok after frying the prawns) . Now lower the flame and add the chicken pieces slowly. Fry for 3-4 minutes on slow flame. Again use spoon to take out the chicken pieces out of the wok . Keep aside. In same wok heat 2 tsp of oil. Lower flame shift in all the sliced carrots, beans, capsicum and spring onions. Fry over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and stir continuously. Now fry over high flame for 2-3 minutes. Put off the flame. Heat 2 cups (the very same cups in which the rice was measured) of water in a pressure cooker of not less than 4 liters capacity. Add 2 tsp of salt in the water. The cooker should be lightly covered with a lid when water is heated. When the water just starts boiling (slightly bubbles) - lower flame and shift the rice etc from the wok into pressure cooker very carefully. Add soya sauce and tightly close the pressure cooker lid. Raise the flame to full. When the full steam comes out (whistles) - put off the flame. If you suspect that the pressure cooker is taking more than expected time (2-3 minutes) to whistle - shut off the flame immediately. This may happen if the water in pressure cooker dries up too fast. When the pressure cooker opens up automatically (do not open by artificial cooling ), check if the rice is done. It should be just cooked not overcooked. If you think that the rice is overcooked - shift the rice in a large wide open vessal. Let cool. If you think that the rice is quite hard, sprinkle a handful of hot water over the rice and close the cooker lid tightly. Keep in this position for 10 minutes. The rice should be softer by now. With the help of the handle of a long spoon - mix the fried chicken pieces, prawns, omelet ( shredded into small pieces) and ajinomoto. Your fried rice ready to be served.

If you have to cook a larger amount of rice do not use this "absorption" method of cooking in a pressure cooker. Follow this method:- Soak and drain rice as mentioned. On high flame boil water 3 times the amount of rice. Add salt ( example : 1 cup of rice needs about half tsp of salt) . Shift the rice in fast boiling water. Let remain on high flame for 3-5 minutes. Put off the flame. Check for doneness ( just cooked) . If it is too hard keep covered for 10 minutes. Check again and keep covered for some more time if it is still hard. You should be able to judge well if the rice is just cooked and the rice grains not sticky (separate). If the rice is done - drain it on a strainer/colander/ muslin cloth. Leave to drain for at least 1 hour. After one hour, work some oil into the rice (amount of oil according to amount of rice) and keep in a large vessal for 30 minutes. Using the handle of a spoon mix in the soya sauce, ajina motto, salt, fried vegetables, prawns, and chicken pieces. You can also use the layering method of laying one layer of rice and one layer of fried vegetables and other ingredients and go on in this way till all the cooked items are used up. You should make fried rice in this method when you cook more than 3 cups of rice.

Side dishes that goes well with this dish are:
Prawn balls, Boneless dry chili chicken, Wonton soup- a starter that goes well 'these'.

Posted by Keya