Have I ever told you guys what a cool gardener my husband is? He has a major green thumb and loves poking around the garden everyday, planting new things and changing things around the garden to make sure our garden looks pretty all year round. Since we moved into a new house about a year ago, our backyard is now our kitchen garden, thanks to hubs dearest. The latest crop is bell peppers, spinach, fenugreek, tomatoes and chilies. Lots and lots of chilies. They are so good and while there is definite heat in these chilies, there is also an underlying sweetness which I think comes from growing things yourself sans any chemicals. Anyhoo, so I try and use whatever ingredients I can in everything I cook because “hello, freshness!”, and also why not when it grows 2 ft away from you 🙂
Last week I had waaayyy too many chilies growing and had to do something with them. So apart from making some fab chili sauce (recipe will follow soon), I also decided on making this amaze Chili Garlic Fried Rice. Heaps of finely chopped garlic along with some fresh red chilies tossed with rice and spring onions can be your perfect winter meal when you need just that tiny bit of heat in your life.
Chili Garlic Fried Rice:
Serves 2| Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients:
Long Grain White Rice – 1 cup, boiled (Make sure the rice is 90% cooked, it needs to be cooked al dente)
Garlic- 10-12 large cloves, chopped finely
Dried red chilies – 3, chopped
Carrots – 1, chopped very fine or blitzed in a food processor
Cauliflower – 1/2 cup, chopped very fine or blitzed in a food processor
Spring Onion – 1 cup, chopped
Light Soy Sauce – 1/2 cup
Vegetable Oil- 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper – to taste
Directions:
In a wok or pan, heat oil just about till it is warm and toss in the garlic and chilies. We want to make chili garlic oil before we get to the actual cooking. The flavor and aroma of the chili and garlic will only be infused in the oil if the temperature of the oil is low, else it will just burn the garlic and that’s not the taste we want. This should not take more than 3-4 minutes. You will see the garlic turn golden brown.
When the garlic has started changing colour, we toss in our super finely chopped veggies. Because they are chopped so fine, they do not take very long to cook. Also, ensure that they are not overcooked because all stir fries require the veggies to remain al dente and not be overcooked.
For those who love eggs, feel free to add 2 eggs at this stage (with the white and the yolk) and scramble them till cooked. The rest of the procedure remains exactly the same.
Now, add the light soy and adjust seasoning. Remember, soy sauce is already very salty so add your salt accordingly. Add the rice and toss lightly till everything comes together.
Get the plates out and put your Netflix on. You’re ready to sit with a bowlful of this amazing meal and enjoy your ‘better than takeout” Chinese meal.
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