What is the trick with fried rice?

Question

I love the loose, brownish, fried rice from a restaraunt, but anytime I try to cook some up at home it turns into mush.

I saw a tip on using cold rice instead of fresh cooked hot rice, but it still turned into a mess. Do I need to undercook it a little? Do I add more oil?

I don't need any fancy recipes, just the basic steps or tips so it doesn't turn all sticky in a wok when I add the precooked veggies and meats. Thanks to all.

Answer 1

I've always used day old cold rice that was cooked firm no mushy. Be sure you use enough oil. Make sure your wok and oil are VERY hot. Scramble/fry your egg, break it up. If you are using fresh onion or garlic add it now and wok briefly. Add rice. Let it sizzle for the first 5-10 seconds then toss frequently and rapidly. Add whatever vegetables you want and keep tossing until everything is hot through.It works best if you can master that pan-flipping toss you see on TV. Otherwise use that slotted curved tool that came with your wok.

Add you soy sauce pretty much at the last minute. Serve and enjoy.

Answer 2

what rice are you using.

i meant what variety of rice, basmati, jasmine, sticky, etc etc, it makes a difference.

yeah thanks for the thumbs down whoever it was.  i cant know what type of rice is being used before i answer?

Answer 3

Here's what I do (some of this has been mentioned before of course)

1.) Make a stir fry of some kind and make extra rice.

2.) Put leftover rice in an OPEN container (at least breathable) in the refrigerator.  This cools it down and lowers the moisture.

3.) The next day, make your stir fried rice BUT make sure to separate the clumps as best you can before cooking with it.  Yes, a little (a little bit) of oil helps - I like toasted sesame oil - great flavor in moderation.

4.) Get your wok (or whatever you use) really hot - the colder ingredients take alot of the heat away and ruin the stif fry process which requires a wok that is hot, not hot, then cool then slowly heating up again.

This is why a heavy duty wok and a gas stove is the best.  Round bottom, thick and heavy - this retains heat, avoids hotspots and lets liquid pool in the smallest possible space.

Yes - the wok makes a big difference.  An iron skillet or a normal fry pan or a c**p 10 dollar wok aren't the same.  A wok need not be expensive, but those details are important.

5.) Let your other ingredients warm to room temperature to again avoid taking heat away from the wok.  For meats, dry them as much as possible - the extra liquid just pools and you end up steaming or stewing rather than stir frying.

6.) Make sure all your prep work is done ahead of time.  Once you start cooking, you can't let the food sit still.

7.) Don't use water heavy ingredients....  pat as much water off of everything as possible.  Instead, use water soakers - potato, eggplant, mushrooms - a vegetable should either contribute no water or add serious flavor if it does.

8.) Add your soy sauce and other flavors at the end so you don't steam with the liquids

9.) Think about how you are moving the food around - are you stiring it or are you shaking it or are you flipping it or are you crushing it?  If you are trying to break the rice up in the wok, you will ruin it - that's whay you break it up by hand before you start.  If it sticks or breaks up the grains when you do this - its too moist to make fried rice.  The rice should easily fall appart with a little presure if its ready.

10.) When you say pre cooked meats and vegetables do you mean they are canned or steamed ahead of time or that you have already done them in the wok?  If the former, they are probably leaving too much moisture in the final product.

The goal is to minimize water - everything in the dish has plenty so you are either lowering the water content of the ingredient or frying is 'shut' and sealing in the flavor/moisture with the stir fry - that is what stir frying is all about.

Answer 4

Use high heat, a good well seasoned wok, enough oil, like canola or peanut and stir fry fast and very well. Use long grain Thai Jasmine rice and it will be perfect. Add some seafood like prawns and cuttlefish, onions, Lap Cheong (chinese sausage) and some soy sauce. Enjoy!

{:-)

Answer 5

try to use over night rice (store in the fridge.) of course in the first place the rice should not be too waterly.

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

2 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 egg , lightly beaten

3 drops soy sauce

3 drops sesame oil

8 ounces cooked lean boneless pork or chicken , chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots (very small)

1/2 cup frozen peas , thawed

4 cups cold cooked rice , grains separated (preferably medium grain)

4 green onions , chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Directions

1Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.

2Allow wok to cool slightly.

3Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.

4Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture; working quickly, swirl egg until egg sets against wok; when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from wok, and chop into small pieces.

5Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, peas, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

6Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.

7Add 2 tbsp of light soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.

recipe 2:  Classical Chinese Fried Rice - Yang Zhou Chao Fan

1 lb rice , cold, cooked, preferably from yesterdays leftover. Cold rice is not so sticky

2 eggs

2 ounces cantonese roast pork (cha xiu)

2 ounces shrimp , shelled and deveined, cooked

1 teaspoon fresh coriander leaves , chopped

7-8 drops dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

4 ounces chicken broth

Directions

1Break up the lumps in the cooked rice (the goal is to try to separate cooked rice into individual grains).

2Dice roast pork.

3Beat eggs.

4Heat iron wok till smoking hot.

5Swirl a ladle of cold oil in the wok to coat the inside evenly.

6Pour off the oil

7Add 2 Tbsp oil to wok.

8Pour the beaten egg into the hot wok.

9Before the eggs are completely set, put in the rice, then the roast pork and the fresh coriander.

10Toss and turn the rice very quickly for about ten seconds with spatula.

11Add the salt, light and dark soy sauce.

12Toss and turn the rice very quickly for about another ten seconds.

13When you see some the rice grains jumping up and down in the work (meaning the rice is really hot), add half the broth.

14Toss quickly for another ten seconds, and add the other half of the broth.

15Add another Tbsp oil and toss for a further 3 seconds.

Answer 6

)cook the rice a day ahead. that is what i do, and it turns out perfectly. make sure you refrigerate the rice after you finish cooking it. don't over cook  it. P.S. i always add a tablespoon of vinegar to my rice. (2 cups of water  1 cup rice a little salt and margarine and a spoonful of vinegar).

Answer 7

Cook the rice and then spread it out on a baking try and leave it overnight in the refrigerator, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Answer 8

Just use ordinary rice.  The trick is to rinse the rice well after cooking to get all the starch off.  Then it will blend in with your already cooked veggies, chicken, whatever.  You add the rice last, make sure there is enough oil in the pan and stir to blend into ingredients.  Very easy.

Answer 9

I would recommend more oil and start with a hot wok.

Answer 10

Heat oil first and fry the rice until it starts to brown, and be sure to add the exact water you need, and do not uncover while cooking.

Answer 11

leftover rice.  the moisture has evaporated a bit so you avoid mush.  also, a hot pan with canola, or peanut, or sesame (toasted, yum!) oil.  toss it, preferably in a wok so you can move the rice to the side as you quickly add any or all of these ingredients:  scrambled eggs, which you stir through the rice so it sort of coats some of it, defrosted but not necessarily cooked shrimp, cooked leftover any  meat (pork, chicken, beef), extra firm tofu...may need to add oil...chopped onions/scallions [spring onions].  stir it up, remove from heat, add some soy sauce.  hint: if rice is too dry when you start out, add a bit of chicken broth and cover, a few minutes then stir, push aside and  then start adding stuff.  I love shitake mushrooms...stir any mushrooms fast in oil or they mush or turn rubbery.  BTW: it's not traditional but really crispy bacon is super yummy in it.

Answer 12

use pelnty of oil, and BURN it. Well, actually, cook it for a long time.

Answer 13

To get good fried rice, you must already have good steamed rice that was soft & fluffy, but still firm enough ie. no hint of mushiness. Wash uncooked rice well to remove excess starch. If using a rice cooker & recently bought rice, 1 cup water to each cup of rice. If using the boiling method with a saucepan, an extra half to one cup more water. If the rice is old, you need more water. No extra stuff like vinegar or butter, please. Let the steamed rice cool down before you put it in the fridge overnight; the cold temp in the fridge is to firm up individual grains of rice, not so much to remove moisture.

Before you start to cook your fried rice, use the back of your spoon or a fork to break up the cold rice so that the rice grains are individually separated. Use a medium-high to high heat to fry. There is no way domestic kitchens can produce the same level of heat from roaring flames in a restaurant kitchen, even in Chinese homes, so forget about trying to duplicate that. You don't need that much oil as stir-frying is cooking quickly and constantly stirring & tossing the food, so the food is not supposed to have a chance of getting burnt, only slightly browned.

There's many methods & preferences in frying rice. Many prefer to scramble the eggs first & then add the rice. Personally I feel the eggs are too cooked by then to really integrate with the rice. For me I like to add the beaten eggs last when the rice & other ingredients are almost done, this way almost all the rice grains can be individually coated with some egg.  

For added fragrance at the end, add a few drops of sesame oil or drizzle a bit of Chinese wine at the side to sizzle before mixing well. Don't forget to  garnish with chopped spring onions, not just for the color but also to add to the taste & fragrance when mixed into the hot fried rice.

Answer 14

Cook your rice first and let it sit a little while.  Make sure it is dry and not moist.  Add your vegies and meat first to the wok, and cook for a few minutes and then add the rice. Use a moderate amount of vegetable oil, not a lot.  You can also cook it in a big skillet.  it works just as well.

Answer 15

The trick is to cook it on a wok with very high heat and to fry it well. that means really fry it well for some time, stirring with high energy, and you will see the rice fluffy and nice :)