As the skies continue to stay thunder grey, heat your woks and stir in a flavour storm with these desi versions of fried rice
Quick and easy, bhaat bhaja, the Bengali version of fried rice, is a one pot meal, often made with leftover rice and simple veggies
It’s that time of the year when taste buds and the tummy gang up and rage a war cry for all things spicy, oily and warm. While bhajias and Maggi are an anytime snack, for a fuller meal, fried rice is the perfect pick. Though everyone usually turns to Southeast Asian fare, we got home chefs to share Indian versions of the fried rice that make a hearty meal, for one or many.
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Maharashtra
By Reshma Mane, Every Aroma (@everyaroma on Instagram)
“This dish has three stars: the aromatic Indrayani rice from Maharashtra, which is like the sticky Jasmine rice of Thailand; Kolhapuri tikhat masala [available at masala stores in Dadar and Lal Baug] and ghee. We use this instead of chilli powder at home and it is a flavour we identify with. The recipe can be made using mutton as well as veggies,” says Mane.
Homestyle Kolhapuri chicken stir fry
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Indrayani rice
250 gm boneless chicken pieces, diced
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp Kolhapuri tikhat masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
2 onions, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp veg oil
2 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
Coriander, chopped
METHOD
Boil the rice with double the quantity of water and keep aside (add salt as per taste). Heat oil in a wok, add the chopped onions and tomatoes and fry well till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, all spice powders, and ghee and fry well. Add diced chicken and cook till chicken is done. Put in the rice and mix well. Add the coriander, toss well and serve hot.
Anglo-Indian
By Bridget White-Kumar, Author and Food Consultant in Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine
“This quick and easy dish is a favourite in our home whenever we want a change from the usual rice and curry. It has a lovely peppery taste and can be whipped up in minutes if you have some cooked rice at home. You could also add some green peas or cauliflower florets to it for slight variation,” says Bengaluru-based Kumar.
Tomato fried rice
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 large onions, sliced
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsp oil or butter
METHOD
Heat the oil or butter in a pan and add the sliced onions and green chillies. Fry till onions turn golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they are soft.
Add pepper powder, turmeric, and salt and fry for a minute.
Add ¼ cup of water and cook for a few minutes.
Add the cooked rice and mix in well. Cook on low heat till the rice is well heated. Serve with some sliced onions and lime pickle.
Kolkata
By Madhumita Pyne, Insomniac Cook (@insomniaccook on Instagram)
“This Bengali version of fried rice is called bhaat (rice) bhaja (fried), and I fondly remember how when I was a kid, my mother used to make this quick and easy fried rice as a post-school snack. Keeping in mind a child’s palate, she wouldn’t add spices at all; just salt. It was delicious and one of my favourites,” recalls Pyne.
Bhaat bhaja
INGREDIENTS
1 potato, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup rice (preferably a day old)
Salt to taste
Choice of veggies/eggs/bacon
METHOD
Heat oil in a pan and add potatoes. Stir fry till they are golden brown. Add the onion and fry till they become translucent.
Add one cup of day-old rice, sprinkle salt and stir fry till the potatoes are cooked, but still hold their shape. Serve piping hot.
Optional: Throw in any other vegetables you have in hand. Sauté. To add bacon and eggs, first, fry bacon in a pan, keep it aside, in the same pan, scramble an egg on the bacon grease and then keep that aside. Fold in the eggs and bacon at the end.
Fried rice city hunt
In your bowl, pick your choice of veggies and meat, and choose a sauce as you pass the bowl at the counter. Watch the chef stir up your personal flavour bowl. We vote for the Hunan sauce and love to mix our rice with noodles and lots of mushrooms.
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WHERE: All Stir Fry, The Gordon House Hotel, Apollo Bandar
WHEN:
12 noon to 3.30 PM;
7 PM to midnight
CALL: 9867505242
Of mushrooms and mud crabs
Pick mixed mushroom rice with truffle butter and mushroom dashi, or a whole mud crab rice with yuzu, pepper, spinach, and a spring onion relish.
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WHERE: Akina Contemporary Japanese Restaurant and Bar, Golden Palace, Turner Road, Bandra West
WHEN: 7 PM to 1 AM; weekends
12.30 PM to 3.30 PM & 7 PM to 1 AM
CALL: 8976452899
Sting!
If you’re a wasabi lover, a must-try is the wasabi pickled fried rice (Rs 595) made with house-pickled vegetables.
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WHERE: Taki Taki, World Crest, Unit no.1A & 1B, Lodha, Lower Parel
WHEN: 12 PM to 1.30 AM
CALL: 7400491480
Kimchi cravings
Duck kimchi fried rice (Rs 445) is inspired by the Korean rice dish kimchi bokkeumbap. Kimchi and rice are stir-fried together with gochujang (a fermented chilli bean paste that is both spicy and sweet), and soy sauce.
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WHERE: The Fatty Bao, Bandra and Andheri
WHEN: 12 PM to 3.30 PM and 7 PM to 1 AM (Guests below 10 years are permitted only for lunch and above 18 years for dinner)
CALL: 26005220
Thai style
Krapow fried rice has the rich flavour of Thai sweet basil, Thai red chilli, Thai soya sauce, and oyster sauce/fish sauce. There are a few varieties that can be prepared such as chicken, beef, pork, prawn, and veg. At Yazu you can try their fusion style with some additional flavours like lemon grass with veg, chicken, prawn options, which come with prawn crackers and sunny
side egg on top.
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WHERE: 9, Raheja Classic, next to Options—The Fashion Mall, Lokhandwala, Andheri West
WHEN:12 PM to 5 PM and
7 PM to 1.30 AM
CALL: 8928828383
SICHUAN SAUCE RECIPE
From the good folks at All Stir Fry in Colaba
INGREDIENTS
20 gm ketchup
20 gm chilli sauce
20 gm chilli paste
25 gm onions, chopped
10 ml garlic, chopped
10 gm ginger, chopped
5 gm fresh red chillies
5 gm celery, chopped
1 lemon
2 ml sesame oil
2 gm pepper, crushed
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 gm corn starch
1 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
METHOD
Heat a small, dry saucepan. When the pan is hot, add peppercorns and roast until aromatic. Grind into coarse powder. Heat the pan again and add oil, chopped ginger, garlic, and onions and stir-fry for one minute. Add the chilli sauce and chilli paste. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt to the pan. Mix the cornstarch with some water to make a thick paste. Whisk in the cornstarch liquid into the pan and stir till the sauce coats the spoon. Put aside to cool. It can then be added to any stir fry dish.
TIPS FROM THE WOK(E)
>> Always use medium to long grain rice
>> Ensure that the rice being used is not overcooked
>> Never use any sticky rice or thick-grained rice
>> The rice should never be cold. It should at least be at room temperature
>> Use a hot pan or wok which has been seasoned with oil
>> Season the pan/wok by heating the utensil till it smokes. Brush lightly with oil and keep aside
>> Use as few spices or seasoning as possible to bring out the flavours of all the other ingredients
>> Do not use too many ingredients in the stir-fried rice as this will mix all flavours. Just keep it simple and less complicated
>> The veggies need to always be blanched before being used and never boiled, which will make them lose their crunch. Always add non-veg ingredients first, followed by veg ingredients and then the rice, which is then finished off with required seasoning/sauces
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