25 minutes
A simple yet delicious fried rice dish featuring chilled jasmine rice, peas, and shallots, seasoned with turmeric and garnished with fried shallots.
1. Prep Ingredients
Ensure the jasmine rice is chilled and clumps are broken up. Slice the shallots. If using green peas, measure out 1 cup.
2. Sweat Aromatics
To the same pan, add the sliced shallots and turmeric. Stir-fry until the shallots are tender and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Look for a soft texture and a mellowing in color for visual clues that they’re done.
3. Fry Rice
Raise the heat to high. Using wet hands or a spatula, break up any remaining clumps as you add the chilled jasmine rice to the pan with the aromatics. Season with salt. Stir to mix, then spread the rice out in an even layer and let it sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Stir the rice and repeat the process of spreading it out and letting it sit for 2 more minutes, two more times, until the rice is heated through, aromatic, and begins to get crispy edges.
4. Finishing Ingredients
Add the peas into the pan with the rice. Stir in the fried shallots, mixing them briefly with the rice. Transfer the fried rice to a serving bowl.
This is key for preventing mushy fried rice. The grains dry out, ensuring they'll fry up nicely. If you must use fresh rice, spread it out on a tray and let it cool completely, even chilling it for a bit.
Use a wok or a large, heavy skillet to allow for high heat without overcrowding. This ensures each grain gets a bit of color and texture.
Keep your ingredients moving to avoid burning. This is a quick process, so have everything prepped before you start cooking.
If available, use fresh turmeric root. It has a brighter, more complex flavor than the powder. If using fresh, handle with gloves to avoid staining your hands.
If adding protein, ensure it's cooked and seasoned well before adding it to the rice. This is especially important for meats, which need to be browned and flavorful.
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