HOW TO MAKE EASY FRIED RICE

 

Easy fried rice! Oh, I love this name! Seriously, who doesn’t like the idea of quick and easy meals?! Whether you agree or disagree with me, I don’t think Korean food belongs in this category. Most Korean meals take a fair bit of time to prepare. This is particularly true if you’re preparing a meal “The True Korean Way”. It includes rice, soup or stew and various side dishes. This can easily take 2+ hours for just one meal. (Though, if you make a large volume of everything, they can be easily served with like 5 mins prep time at the next meal and the next meals after that. Cool, ha?)

Anyhow, quick and easy to prepare one bowl meal, such as easy fried rice has been my best friend for a long time if not forever.  I particularly love making it with some smoked bacon and frozen mixed vegetables as they are easy to prepare.

SOME FACTS ABOUT MY EASY FRIED RICE

  • The general Korean word for fried rice is Bokkeum Bap (볶음밥). Bokkeum = (Stir) Fried, Bap = Rice
  • This recipe is not necessarily how typical Koreans would cook it. It’s just how I do it at home.
  • Also, frankly, I don’t even use a measuring spoon when I make fried rice but I did this time so that you can follow it properly. 🙂
  • So easy and quick to make. It takes about 20 mins from the start to finish!  (so long as you already have some rice in your rice cooker on the bench or in the fridge as leftover.)
  • Like most fried rice dishes, it reheats well. So it will be perfect for your next day lunchbox.

INGREDIENTS FOR EASY FRIED RICE (FOR 2 LARGE SERVINGS)

  • 2 cups steamed rice, cooled down – I used short grain rice but long grain rice should work as well.
  • 4 rindless bacon rashers (100g, 3.5 ounces), thinly chopped
  • Frozen mixed vegetables (150g, 5.3 ounces), thawed
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tbsp msg free oyster sauce (can be substituted with soy sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Some cooking oil – I used rice bran oil.
  • 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • Fine sea salt to taste (optional) – Though I didn’t use it.
*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

HOW TO MAKE EASY FRIED RICE

1. Preheat a skillet/wok on medium high heat and once heated add a thin layer of cooking oil. Add the bacon and stir constantly until fully cooked (about 3 mins).


2. Add the vegetables and cook until tender (about 3 to 4 mins). Stir constantly. Reduce the heat to low. Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and mix them well and quickly with the rest of ingredients in the skillet.



3. Add the rice and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients in the skillet. Add the green onion, sesame oil and sesame seeds and mix them lightly with the rice. Serve.

NOTE

  • For stir frying, slightly drier rice cooks better without going gluey. So typically, it is recommended to use 1 to 2 days old rice. But if you can manage the water amount, you can use freshly steamed rice as well. Just make the rice intentionally drier by adding slightly less water when you steam it.
  • My mixed vegetables include broccoli, carrots, sweet corn and beans. Since I’m using packaged ones, I make sure at least all the ingredients are locally (Australian) grown. By all means, you can use fresh vegetables.


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