Indian-Spiced Fried Rice
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Servings: 2-3 for main, or 4-6 more side.
Ingredients:
1C basmati rice, rinsed*
1 ¾ C water
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods, cracked
2T butter, divided (vegetable or coconut oil, if vegan)
1T vegetable oil
½ medium onion, chopped
1-2 red or green chile peppers, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted & ground
½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted & ground
¼ tsp turmeric
1 cup canned diced tomato without liquid**
2 large eggs, beaten (omit, if vegan)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions:
Add water and whole spices to a medium-sized pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add in rice and 1 tablespoon of butter, and season with salt. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Remove and discard whole spices.
Warm a large sauté pan over medium-heat. Add remaining butter and oil to the pan, followed by the onions. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add in chiles, ginger, garlic and spices, and sauté about 30 seconds.
Add the cooked rice to the pan and toss to combine until warmed through. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Push rice to the side of the pan, leaving an empty space open for the eggs. Pour in the beaten eggs, season with salt and pepper, and scramble. Stir scrambled eggs throughout the rice. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy.
*NOTE: You can prepare the rice one day in advance and it’ll be even better. You can also use 3 cups of plain, leftover rice and add a few pinches of ground garam masala instead of steaming the rice with the whole spices.
**You can substitute 1-2 fresh, plum tomatoes for the canned, diced tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, I suggest scoring, blanching and shocking them. I would then peel and discard the skin, chop the tomatoes and discard the juice and seeds.