I like to share recipes that not only describe the cooking process, but also introduce readers to features, tips and tricks that go beyond a single recipe.

In a recent recipe for caramelized onions, I talked about how to make them in half the time compared to the classic method, using a couple of secret ingredients. Today we’re going to talk about fried rice.

We’re going to make Thai-style fried rice with chicken and curry. Spicy and very flavorful, and most importantly, perfectly crumbly and incredibly tasty. But for fried rice to be crumbly and not turn into a into a glutinous mass, you need to know a little secret…

The secret of perfect fried rice

If you’ve ever cooked fried rice, you’ve probably experienced the problem of excessive stickiness. The rice was sticking to each other and the other ingredients to form an unappetizing mess.

The reason is that you probably cooked the rice right before you fried it. The rice is probably too moist and fluffy to be fried at all.

To make it fit to fry, the rice should spend at least a night in the refrigerator, cool down, and dry out. So if you want crumbly, tasty fried rice – use yesterday’s rice, but what if you don’t want to wait 24 hours?

Artificial yesterday’s rice

What is the difference between yesterday’s leftover rice and freshly cooked rice? That’s right – leftover rice is drier, it has less moisture. So all we need to do is get rid of the excess moisture.

To do this, you need to boil the rice in a little less water than usual, then put a towel between the lid and the pot so it absorbs the excess moisture, put the rice on a tray, cool it down at room temperature, and then send it to the fridge and let it cool for another 20 minutes.

Rice cooked in this way is almost no different from leftover rice, ideal for frying.

I took this method and recipe from America’s test Kitchen book “100 Techniques“

What kind of rice is prefferable?

The best option is jasmine rice. Any other unprocessed long-grain white rice will do too.

Do not use steamed and “converted” (brown rice converted to white by special technology), because the processed types of rice will be too wet and not suitable for frying.

⏱ Cooking time — 80 minutes overall. Includes 45 minutes of preparation and cooking + 35 minutes unattended.

🥣 Ingredients

🍽 For 4-6 servings:

For artificial yesterday’s rice:

• 370 g (3 oz) rice (jasmine or other white long-grain rice)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 640 ml (2 2/3 cups) water

For fried rice with chicken and curry:

• 450 g (16 oz) chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) (don’t have? check for chicken breast substitutes)
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp. curry powder
• 1 large onion
• 5 green Thai chilies (I substituted with a couple of red chilies)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 stalks chives (I substituted with a couple stalks of green onions)
• 2 sprigs of coriander
• 6 tbsp. neutral vegetable oil

For serving:

• lime

Equipment:

• A large non-stick pan, 30 cm+ (11, 8 inches) in diameter
• kitchen towel
• 4+ liter pot with lid

 🔪Step by step Directions

Start cooking with the rice, while it’s boiling – prepare and chop vegetables, chicken and herbs, and while it cools – fry the eggs, chicken. All that remains is to wait until the rice is ready, lightly fry it and heat everything together.

Prepare the rice

Take 370 g (3 oz) of rice. Put it in a sieve or colander and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear (about 1 minute). Place the colander over a bowl and let the water drain.
Take a saucepan and set over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil and heat through.

Add 370 g (3 oz) of rice to the pan and cook stirring for about 30 seconds to make sure that the oil covers each rice particle.

Pour 640 ml (2 2/3 cups) of water, increase the heat to maximum and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to minimum, cover and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 18 minutes.

Turn off the heat, remove the lid and place a double folded kitchen towel directly on top of the pot, cover. Allow to stand for 8 minutes.

Transfer the rice to a baking tray and spread it over the entire surface in one even layer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Then put the tray with the rice in the refrigerator and let it cool for another 20 minutes.

Slice the chicken, green onions and cilantro

Cut 450 g (16 oz) of chicken fillet (boneless and skinless) into strips and then into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inches) apart.

Finely chop 5 stalks of chives and 2 sprigs of coriander, having previously cut off the lower part with the roots, put it in a bowl and set aside.

Slice the chili peppers

Take a couple of regular red chilies (or 5 green Thai chilies), remove the stems and then the membranes and seeds. To do this, cut each pepper in half lengthwise, cut off the sepals, and use the tip of a knife to scrape out the seeds. Divide each half across into two parts.

Slice into thin julienne strips, put all together and chop into small cubes.

Slice the onion and garlic

Prepare 1 large onion. Cut off the tails of the onion, cut it in half, cutting through the root,
Peel the husk. Slice into thin half rings. Transfer the sliced onions to a deep bowl and set aside.

Crush 2 cloves of garlic with a knife, peel and finely chop. Place the garlic in the same bowl as the chili.

Prepare the eggs and sauce, salt the chicken

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, lightly beat with a fork and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. fish sauce and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt over chicken fillets and stir to combine.

Roast the eggs

Place a large non-stick frying pan, 30 cm (11,8 inches) in diameter, on the stove. Heat 1.5 tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat.

Pour in 2 eggs from the bowl and cook without stirring until they begin to set, about 20 seconds.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly with a spatula, separating into smaller pieces, until the eggs are fully cooked but not toasted, about 30 seconds.

Transfer to a deep, clean plate and set aside.

Fry chicken with curry, prepare rice

Heat another 1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1 tsp. curry powder and cook with stirring until brightly fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Place 450 g (16 oz) of the prepared chicken fillets in the pan and cook without stirring for about 1 minute. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Check readiness with a thermometer; the middle of the thickest piece should be 65+ °C (150 °F).

Transfer the chicken to a plate with the eggs.

When the rice is through all the cooling stages, take it out of the refrigerator and loosen it with your fingers or tongs, breaking up any large lumps into smaller ones.

Fry the onion, chili and garlic, add the rice and assemble the dish

Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in an empty frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion sliced in half rings and the remaining 3 tsp. of curry powder. Cook stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until onions are soft.

Add chopped chili peppers and garlic, cook stirring frequently until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the rice and stir the contents of the pan well.

Pour in the fish and soy sauce mixture. Cook stirring constantly and separating any lumps of rice for 3 minutes.

Add green onions and cilantro (save 1/5 of the greens for decoration), chicken and eggs. Cook stirring constantly for about 1 more minute to heat through and combine all ingredients.

Serve immediately, garnishing with lime slices and a sprinkling of greens.