Fried Rice with Cilantro and Peas
I'm sure many of you have a favorite fried-rice recipe. This is mine. It's an old Gourmet recipe that I found on Epicurious. When I am making rice with dinner (brown or white), I intentionally make extra so that I'm sure to have leftovers and can make fried rice for lunch the next day. It takes less than ten minutes to throw together, and the secret is the incredible flavor the cumin seeds impart. I've added chopped, cooked chicken on occasion, and I'm sure it would be equally as tasty with pork or shrimp or tofu. Bella likes to add an egg or two, which she scrambles in a separate pan and mixes in at the end. Max threw in some chopped carrots when he made it recently, which I’ve now started to add regularly, as well. Basically, you can use the recipe below as a guide, and feel free to add whatever you like in your fried rice.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
4 scallions
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I use olive oil and/or sesame)
4 cups chilled cooked white rice (or brown)
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce, such as Kikkoman
1 cup frozen peas
Preparation
Chop cilantro and thinly slice scallions.
In a large nonstick skillet, cook cumin seeds in oil over moderately high heat, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add rice and fry, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Add vinegar and soy sauce, stirring to coat rice, and stir fry until liquid is evaporated.
Stir in cilantro, scallions, and peas and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Season with salt, if necessary.
