Fried rice with barbeque Chicken
- Cool cooked rice immediately (rinse with boiling water first, then plenty of cold water, then drain)
- Always keep it in the fridge, and
- Never for more than a day, maximum
- A high-sided frying pan or wok
- Cooked and chilled basmati rice
A medium red onion, finely chopped- A chilli (or to taste) finely chopped
- A yellow pepper finely chopped
- Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder
- a couple of tablespoons or so of reduced-salt soy sauce
- First of all, prepare your vegetables.
- Get your seasonings/ soy sauce etc. to hand, as this comes together very quickly.
- Heat the pan/wok to a med-high heat then dry-fry the cumin seeds – move them around and keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. You’ll know when they’re done by the delicious smell..
- Add a tablespoonful of vegetable oil and allow it to heat up.
- Throw in the prepared vegetables,(except for anything you’re using as a garnish) stir well, and reduce the heat to allow them to cook slightly for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat, then add the cold rice, and stir in gently. Keep it moving so that the rice doesn’t stick. You’re aiming to re-heat it until it’s piping hot, not to cook it.
- Add the curry powder and soy sauce and keep moving the rice about.
- Taste it every now and then to check the seasoning, and to make sure it’s heated right through.
- Did I mention that it should be piping hot?
Add the sliced spring onions or fresh herbs if you’re using them, and stir into the mixture, then serve immediately.
- Smarter people than me tend to add a beaten egg to this, but I’ve never done this successfully, so now I just don’t bother. Of course, if you fancy it you should go ahead and show me up
- To make this into a main course, some fried chicken or prawns will bulk it out very nicely.
- I’ve also used Teriaki sauce instead of Soy sauce; it lends a sweeter flavour, which I like too..
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx