Thai Fried Rice

This dish is easy, fast, versatile and delicious. It is also healthier than take-out because there’s less sodium and no MSG.

Ingredients:

1 large carrot

1 large bell pepper – any color you like

2 large garlic cloves

2 tbs. sesame oil*

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 egg

2 cups cooked rice, white or brown

½ tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. paprika

A few pinches of cayenne pepper

2 stalks of scallions

Black pepper

For garnish: cilantro, lemon, sesame seeds*

*These can be found in an Asian foods market. If you cannot find these, omit the seeds and use canola oil instead.

Preferably when making fried rice or noodles, you’d use a wok. A wok is a high-sided pan with a round bottom used often in Asian kitchens. A wok can be purchased anywhere cookware is sold, like Sur la table, Crate & Barrel or online, of course. If you don’t want to buy a wok, don’t – just use a high sided skillet.

You will need refrigerated cooked rice for this dish. Day-old rice or leftover rice from take-out is best because it is least likely to stick together, as opposed to using rice that was just cooked.

Start by julienning (cutting into match stick-sized pieces) your vegetables and mincing the garlic. The recipe says carrots and peppers but you can use any vegetables you like – mushrooms, broccoli, peas, carrots, cabbage, etc. Heat the sesame oil in the wok on high heat. Place the vegetables and garlic into the wok, season with salt and cook about 3 minutes. In the meantime beat the egg in a separate bowl. Move the vegetables to one side of the work and pour the egg in with half of the soy sauce. Scramble the egg with the soy sauce until it cooks, about 1 minute. Add the rice, the rest of the soy sauce and the seasonings. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions and pepper. Plate and garnish and it’s ready to serve!