Vegetable Fried Rice

I love fried rice. Any Kind - Vegetable, Chicken and Egg. My mom used to make delicious vegetable fried rice frequently on Sundays and the whole house will be filled with the fragrance of freshly made ginger garlic paste and ghee. Yes, She used to  fry the rice in ghee and it was just yummy !!! I used to hang around the kitchen from the time I come to know that she is preparing fried rice (through the fragrance from the kitchen ofcourse ) in the hope that it will get over soon and then I will bring my plate forward and grab a share :) My mom serves it along with Raita. Finish off the fried rice and then everyone will go off and take a long Sunday nap :) 

When I came to Hyderabad and had to order something from a restaurant, I decided to order fried rice remembering mom's cooking. Well, I hated it. It was bland. And you couldnt eat it simply. We had to order some side dish other than raita.  But then I fell in love again with Fried rice at an authentic Chinese restaurant.  Very different from how my mom prepares her fried rice. But it was just yum !! Served with Gobi Manchurian, I became a fan of Chinese Fried rice. When I got married, I prepared my mom's fried rice for my hubby after getting the recipe from mom. Taste was great but all the rice were sticking to each other. Yaeh ... That was the time when I didnt knew how to cook rice properly. Any way my hubby loved it and  that was what mattered :)
After coming to US, I watched a regional program where they showed the preparation of Fried rice in Chinese restaurant in a wok on high flame tossing and turning the vegetables and rice. I was very interested in seeing how the chef does his hand movements tossing the veggies and decided to try it at home. Came out just like the authentic fried rice in restaurants. We loved it and I never got a chance to post it in my blog till now. I usually prepare rice only for lunch and when ever I prepare fried rice for lunch, my hubby gets disappointed that I prepared only enough for one time serving :) 
As you may know, I am part of Jagruti's potluck party Cyber style and I was thinking about which dish should I prepare specially for the party. Last two times, I had prepared sweets and wanted to post something different this time. Decided on my fried rice and here goes the recipe. Enjoy the party :) 

Vegetable Fried Rice:

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 min
Total Time: 30 - 45 min

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice
1 small onion
3/4 - 1 cup of chopped carrot and beans
Half of a green capsicum
1/2 cup of Julienned carrot and cabbage
1 spring onion
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Chilli Sauce
1 Tsp White Pepper
1 - 2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 cup Water or Coconut Milk
Salt

Prepping:

Step 1: Wash rice and cover and cook in 1 cup water or Coconut Milk for around 10 min . I prefer cooking rice in coconut milk when ever possible. Gives a delicious taste. 
You can use water as well. 

In 10 min, all water will get evaporated. Check the consistency of the rice and see if you need to cook for more time. If you do, then sprinkle some water and cover and cook. 

After switching off, let it remain covered for around 10 - 15 min. Then spread on a plate and let it cool. Now refrigerate till use. 

Note: Do not overcook and the rice should not stick to each other. You can skip step 1 and use previous day's left over rice if you have any as well.

Step 2:  Cut onion into small pieces. Slice one half of a carrot very thinly (Julienne). Same with cabbage. Chop the remaining carrot into small pieces. Chop beans into small pieces. Slice capsicum thinly. Chop spring onions into small pieces. 

Note: Cooking fried rice involves tossing and turning the veggies and rice on high flame. Do get everything ready before you start preparing fried rice. Preparing fried rice needs your full attention and you wont have time for anything else in that 20 - 30 min. 

Step 3: Microwave chopped carrot and beans for 3 - 4 min till cooked. If you do not have microwave, add some water and salt to the chopped carrot and beans and cook in a pan. 

Method of Preparing:

Step 1:

Heat 1 or 2 Tbsp oil in a Kadai or wok or a big and wide non stick pan.  When the oil becomes hot, add onions and saute. Keep the flame on high; Lift the pan from the high flame every now and then and keep tossing and turning the onions and the pan. Do not change the flame to low/ medium. It has to be high. Be careful and do not let anything burn. 

Step 2:

Once onions are slightly browned (Takes around 2 - 3 min on high flame), add thinly sliced capsicum on the pan. Keep tossing and turning the pan on high flame and keep stirring the onions and capsicum mixture. Takes another 2 - 3 min for the capsicum to cook. 

Step 3:

Once capsicum is slightly cooked, add julienne d carrot and cabbage and keep stirring and keep tossing and turning the pan. Takes 3 min to get cooked. 

Step 4:

Add cooked chopped carrot - bean mixture. Mix well. Keep on stirring and tossing the pan on high flame.

Step 5:

Now add the cooked and refrigerated rice and mix well. 

Step 6:

Add 1 Tsp of ground white pepper and mix well. 

Note: I have used black pepper instead of white pepper and that works well too. 

Step 7:

Now add 1/4 - 1 Tsp of Soy sauce and 1/2 Tsp Chilli Sauce. Mix well. 

Step 8:

Keep on stirring on high heat for 2 more minutes, tossing and turning and mixing. Then switch off and garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve hot. 

You can eat the fried rice simply like that or enjoy with a serving of Gobi Manchurian or any other Chinese gravy :)

Sending to Jagruti's Potluck Party, Cyber Style :)

Note: 

• You need to keep tossing and turning and swirling the pan every 2 min on high flame.  Provides a very good exercise for hands :) Be prepared.. 
• Taste of the dish comes from cooking the veggies on high flame. Keep an eye not to burn anything. 
• Try to make small quantities at a time. Note the fact that you have to lift the pan and keep tossing and turning it. If the pan is very heavy, hands will get tired very quickly. 

Sending to Favorite Recipes # 13 - One Pot meal happening at My Cooking Journey and Zesty South Indian Kitchen.