Japanese Fried Rice

I've featured fried rice recipe I collected from Malaysia, lets feature the Japanese version.

Ingredients
1-2 tbsps vegetable oil
2½ cups rice, cooked and cooled
½ pound tiny shrimp, 90-110 count
2 eggs, beaten
1 large carrot, diced small
1 bunch green onion, sliced
¼ cup soy sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1.Heat 1-2 tsps vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot.
2.Meanwhile, season beaten eggs with salts and pepper, then add to the pan and cook a thin omelet. Remove the omelet and cut into small square pieces.
3.Using the same wok, add the remaining oil and heat, then fry diced carrots until slightly tender.
4.Add shrimps and cook until pink.
5.Reduce heat to low, then add rice and mix well.
6.Add green onions and cooked eggs, mix gently.
7.While mixing add soy sauce until the color turn slightly brown.
8.Increase heat to high and fry the mixture.
9.Add salt and pepper to taste.

Observation
I noticed that, there were no onion and shallots used at the beginning of cooking this version of Japanese fried rice.Unlike the Malaysians version which normally fry onions and shallots to fragrant before putting in the rest of the ingredients.

Edamame Rice

Edamame are green soy beans that have been boiled. Its simple to prepare and a very healthy dish.

Ingredients
2 cups Japanese Rice
2 1/4 cups water
3 inches konbu
2 tbsps sake
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
3/4 lb edamame

Steps
1.To prepare edamame,wash edamame beans well then boil them in a large pan for 5-10 minutes or until soft.
2.Drain edamame.
3.Wash rice, then put them into a rice cooker.
4. Add salt, sake, soy sauce and konbu.

Variation
You can skip sake if you want.
Edamame can be served on its own, sprinkle some salt to taste before you serve.

All of the recipes I've posted so far, were from family and friends. All of them have local influence.
I'm going to search for rice recipes from Japan and Korea to add to this collection. And I also think its high time I bug my aunt's life since she's been living in Japan for quite some time.

Spicy Rice Chicken

Ingredients
250g chicken fillet, sliced
40g ready made rendang paste, homemade rendang paste can be bought at local market or just buy commercially packed rendang paste at the hypermarket
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsps oil
1 cup uncooked rice, washed and drained, then seasoned with 1tsp salt and sugar
5 Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
10 raisins
1 cup or 240g chicken stock
1 handful coriander leaves
1 red chillie, sliced

Steps
1.Marinate chicken with rendang paste, kaffir lime leaves, oil and a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper for taste, then set aside.
2.Mix seasoned rice with mushrooms, nuts and raisins.
3.Divide chicken between 2 chinese bowls. Pack rice on top of chicken then pour chicken stock evenly into each bowl.
4.Steam over high fire for about 25 minutes, or until cook.
5.To serve unmold rice onto plate and garnish with coriander leaves and sliced chillie.

Belacan Fried Rice

Ingredients
3 tbsps vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 onion, chopped
1-2 tbsps belacan sauce, or if you have belacan cube, cut off 2cm by 2cm of it.
2 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
7-10 celery stalks, veins removed and diced
1 cucumber, soft pulp removed and diced
7-10 cups cooked rice
1 tbsps light soy sauce
Sugar to taste
Pepper

Topping
1/2 cup dried shrimps, pounded
1 cup grated coconut
7-9 young kaffir lime leaves, cut into fine strips
2 Green chillies, sliced

Steps
1.Heat wok over medium fire, dry fry pounded dried shrimps together with grated coconut until golden, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
2.Heat oil in the same wok until hot and stir fry garlic and onion until fragrant, then add in belacan sauce for another 5 minutes until fragrant.
3.Add a little water 1tbsps, to prevent mixture from burning.
4.Add lemongrass to the wok and stir fry quickly, then add diced vegetables and mix well.
5.Add rice, soy sauce, sprinkling of pepper and sugar for taste, then continue stirring until well mixed.
6.Garnish with dried shrimps, toasted coconut, kaffir lime leaves and some sliced green chillies.

Nasi Kembuli

Ingredients
2 tbsps ghee or vegetable oil
4cm cinnamon
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
425g rice,washed and drained
salt to taste
800ml water
50g roasted cashew nuts
50g raisins

Pounded
80g shallots
4 cloves garlic

Steps
1.Heat ghee or oil then stir fry cinnamon stick and pounded ingredient until fragrant.
2.Add coriander and cumin powder and rice then stir to mix well.
3.Transfer to rice cooker,add salt to taste,water,cashew nuts and raisins, then mix well.Allow to cook until cooker automatically shuts off.
4.Leave to rest for a few minutes. Fluff up the rice with a wooden spoon and serve.

Fried Rice in Pineapple

Ingredients
5 tbsps oil
5 clove garlic,finely chopped
5 onion, finely chopped
20g French beans, cut into 3cm pieces
1 quater of medium pineapple, diced
300g cooked rice
2 eggs beaten
salt to taste
100g pine nuts
20g roasted almonds
Half a medium size pineapple,scoop out the centre
5 small sheets of dried nori seaweed, cut into strips

Steps
1.Heat oil in large wok over medium fire. When hot, add garlic and onion, stir fry quickly for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not brown.
2.Add French beans and stir fry, then add rice and continue stirring until well mixed.
3.Make a space in the centre of wok and pour in beaten eggs, leave for 30 seconds then scramble, put in pineapple and mix with rice.
4.Season with salt
5.Continue frying for another minute then add pine nuts and almonds, stir until mix well.
6.Spoon into pineapple half and garnish with seaweed strips.
7.Serve hot.

Nasi Briyani or Briyani Rice

Briyani Rice
3 tbsps ghee or any vegetable oil
5cm cinnamon, or kayu manis
4 cardamom, or buah pelaga
4 cloves or bunga cengkih
4 shallots, sliced
500g Basmati rice, washed and drained
3 cups water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3 tbsps plain yoghurt
2 stalk lemongrass, crushed
1 1/2 tpsp salt
1/2 drops yellow coloring or Saffron

Briyani Seasoning
(pound finely)
3 cloves garlic
3cm knob old ginger
2 green chillies

Briyani Rice Garnish
Handful raisins
20g roasted cashew nuts
1 tbsp fried shallots

Steps
1.Heat ghee or oil in wok over a medium fire, then stir fry cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and shallots until fragrant.
2.Add rice and mix well. Transfer rice to cooker and add water, evaporated milk, yoghurt, lemongrass and salt.
3.Add seasoning and stir to mix well.
4.Cook until rice is dry, about 7-10 minute.
5.Add yellow coloring or saffron to cooked rice. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
6.Garnish with raisins, cashew nuts and fried shallots to rice then toss.
7.Serve with masala or curry.

Tips : Traditionally, saffron is used to cook briyani, it gives briyani it yellow and reddish hue and add a distinctive flavor. Yellow coloring is a cheaper alternative.

Chicken Rice Balls

Chicken Rice Balls

Ingredients

180g minced chicken
1 tsp corn oil
5 chinese mushrooms, soaked in cold water till soft, drained then diced
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Rice A
1/2 cup glutinous rice, rinse and drained
250ml chicken stock
375ml water
2 fresh pandan leaves

Rice B
1 cup normal white rice, rinse and drained
250ml chicken stock
250ml water

Marinade
Sprinkling of salt
1/4 tsp soy sauce
Sprinkling of pepper
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Steps
1.To prepare rice mixture, bring ingredients for Rice A to a boil in rice cooker.
2.Stir in ingredients for Rice B.
3.Continue to cook in rice cooker. Once cooked, leave to cool.
4.Season chicken and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
5.Heat oil in non-stick pan over a medium fire. Stir fry chicken and mushrooms for 1-2 minutes, add corn kernels and 6.season with sesame oil. Continue frying for 30 seconds then leave to cool.
7.To assemble rice balls, divide rice and filling into 15 equal portions, then wrap filling into each portion of rice and shape into balls.
8.Serve immediately.

Lotus Leaves Rice

Ingredients
2 dried lotus leaves
2 tsps oil
1 chinese sausage, cut into cubes (optional)
200g uncooked white rice
275ml chicken stock
100g chicken fillet, cut into cubes
2 chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water till soft, cut of the stalks, and cut mushrooms into cubes.
1 red chilli, sliced

Seasoning
1 tsp chicken seasoning powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt

Steps
1.Prepare two lotus leaves by placing them in hot, boiling water for 2-5 minutes or until soft.
2.Removed and gently pat dry,careful not to tear the lotus leaves.
3.Heat oil in wok over a medium fire.
4.Add chinese sausage, stir fry for 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
5.Add rice and chicken stock to the same wok. Turn fire down to low and allow to simmer for about 3-7 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the stock.
6.Put in cooked chinese sausage,chicken and mushrooms in a bowl.
7.Add seasoning and mixed well then transfer mixture to rice in the wok and mix well.
8.Place one of the lotus leaf in deep bowl, then scoop rice mixture over it. Cover, then seal with the other lotus leaf.
9.Steam over medium fire for 30 minutes.
10.To serve, just cut through lotus leaf and garnish with sliced red chilli.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Normally, when I'm in the mood for some chinese food, I'll get this from restaurant, its yummy, filling and it smells nice !!

Ingredients
2 chicken drumsticks, deboned and cut into small pieces.
80g chinese mushrooms, softened in hot water.
400g thai long grain white rice, washed (optional, may use other variety of white rice)
400ml chicken stock
2 chinese sausages (optional), thinly sliced.
150g salted fish
200g choy sum, or sawi

Marinade for chicken
30ml ginger juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce

Braise for mushrooms
250ml chicken stock
Sprinkling of salt and pepper

Sauce
100ml thick soy sauce
2 tbsps oil

Steps
1.Season chicken with marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes. Cook mushrooms with braise ingredients prepared over low fire for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
2.Put rice in claypot and add chicken stock. Stir so rice absorbs some stock before cooking, then cover the claypot and cook 3.over high fire for 5-7 minutes. As soon as smoke comes out of the lid,remove the cover and add chinese sausage, braised mushrooms and marinated chicken on top of rice.
4.Bury salted fish into rice because it takes longer to cook.
5.Replace the lid and turn fire low. Simmer until rice cook, approximately 15-20 minutes.
6.Remove cover again and add choy sum, cover and simmer for another 1 minute. Choy sum is put last so that it won't over cooked.
7.Add sauce, stir to mix wll and dish out to serve, serve while hot.

Lontong

One of my fav. I believe it originated from the javanese, but I'm not so sure.
Lontong

Ingredients
5 tbsps oil
80ml basic rempah
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 lemongrass, bruised
1 litre water
300ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
100g tempeh of fermented soy cake,cut into 4cm strips
1 small handful tanghoon,soaked till soft and drained
6 long beans, cut into 4cm lengths
200g cabbage,thickly sliced
2 red chilli, cut into strips
1 nasi himpit or a few cube of ketupat cut into smaller cubes

Steps
1.Heat oil in pan and stir fry rempah and ground cumin over low fire until fragrant
2.Add lemongrass, cook for 2 minutes then add water.
3.Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes.
4.Add coconut milk and salt.
5.Bring mixture to a boil once again, however, stir it constantly, to avoid the coconut milk from curdling.
6.Add tempeh, tau kwa and carrot, cok for a few minutes until the carrots are soft a bit then add tang hoon, long beans, 7.cabbage and chilli.
8.Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9.Serve hot with ketupat or nasi himpit.

Variation : stir fry dried shrimps with the rempah. Not advisable if you have sinus though. So the version above is suitable for people who have sinus.

Tips :
Nasi himpit - compressed riced, there are two ways to prepare it. Either you cook the rice than put it into a baking pan and press with big spatula, after the rice is compressed, cut into small cubes. The easier way is to fill small plastic bag (make small holes in it with nails or needles) with three quater of rice then seal the end, boil in hot water.

Nowadays, most people just buy a pack of ready made nasi himpit from the nearby market and boil it hot water, much much simpler.

Ketupat - small cube made with coconut leaves then fill half each with rice, boil in hot water. Ketupat has a nice fragrance to it thanks to the coconut leave.

Ketupat pulut - most popular with people in northern peninsular of Malaysia, made with beras pulut, however are eaten with rendang instead of lontong gravy.

Basic rempah - is made of 70g dried chillies,400g sliced shallots,130g sliced garlic,100g sliced ginger,100g sliced lengkuas,50g turmeric root,100g sliced lemongrass,30g chopped buah keras. Pack in separate 100ml bags to keep freshness.

Tuna Fried Rice

FIsh Kedgeree reminds me of something that I used to cook during my early days of working (read : very little money). However, I used palm oil instead of butter and I replaced salmon with canned tuna, with a little bit of cabbage, and egg. Here are the recipe

2-3 tbsps cooking oil
1-2 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tuna chunk
700g rice, cooked
2 eggs, beaten
100g thinly sliced Sawi or Cabbage
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsps chopped spring onions or fried shallot

Steps
1.Heat oil in frying pan or wok.
2.Add tuna and fry for 30 seconds on each side, or each side turn light brown.
3.Remove and set aside to cool.
4.Use fork to flake the fish.
5.Add onion and garlic into the same pan, stir fry till fragrant than add rice and stir fry for another 40 seconds.
6.Toss over high fire until well mixed.
7.Keep rice mixture loose.
8.Add beaten egg,continue to toss,scraping the bottom of the pan until the egg has set.
9.Season to taste.
10.Garnish with chopped spring onion or fried shallot.
11.Serve immediately.

Variation : Replace tuna with sardine, ;)

Fish Kedgeree

This recipe reminds me of another variations when I was younger. I'll put it up right after this one.

Ingredients
70g unsalted butter
400g salmon fillet
700g rice, cooked
3 eggs, boiled and roughly chopped
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsps cream
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsps chopped spring onions or fried shallot

Steps
1.Melt butter in frying pan or wok.
2.Add salmon and fry for 30 seconds on each side, or each side turn light brown.
3.Remove and set aside to cool.
4.Use fork to flake the fish.
5.Add rice into the same pan, stir fry for 40 seconds then put chopped boiled eggs.
6.Toss over high fire until well mixed.
7.Keep rice mixture loose.
8.Add beaten egg and cream,continue to toss,scraping the bottom of the pan until the egg has set.
9.Season to taste.
10.Garnish with chopped spring onion or fried shallot.
11.Serve immediately.

Green Fried Rice

I get this one from my friend who came over my place and cook for me when I was not feeling well. She called it Nasi Goreng Hijau or Green Fried Rice.

2-3 tbsps oil
1-2 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 green chillies, seeded and blend (you can put in more if you want,this is what make the rice green)
2-3 cili padi (optional)
100g thinly sliced cabbage
150g dried ikan bilis, rinsed, drained well and deep fried until crisp
4 cups cooked rices,cooled
Salt to taste
Fried shallot for garnish.

Steps
1.Heat oil in pan over medium fire and stir fry onion and garlic until lightly brown or until fragrant
2.Put in blended chillies and rice. Blend well, keep the rice loose.
3.Add in Ikan bilis.
4.Add in cabbage. We put in cabbage last so that it wont over cook.
5.Put in salt to taste.
6.Garnish with shallot.
Serve immediately.

Ikan Bilis Fried Rice

These are some recipe for nasi goreng or fried rice.When I was growing up, we don't plan to cook fried rice beforehand. We always comes up with fried rice when we have left over lauks in the fridge. I do believe, this is the original fried rice.
During those times, I always eat fried rice in the morning at breakfast, because thats when mom will use all the left over lauks from lastnight.
However, now we have versions of fried rice. and one thing that remain the same, nasi goreng is best served hot. Enjoy !!!
Tips : Lauk could be servings of meat, fish, chicken or vegetable, we eat these lauk with plain rice.

Ingredients
2-3 tbsps oil
1-2 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chillies, seeded and sliced
100g mixed vegetable
150g dried ikan bilis, rinsed, drained well and deep fried until crisp
4 cups cooked rices,cooled
1 tsp salt or 3 tbsps soy sauce
2 egg omelette, cooled and sliced into thin strips.

Steps
1.Heat oil in pan over medium fire and stir fry onion,garlic and chillies until lightly brown or until fragrant
2.Add mixed vegitables and stir fry.
3.Add fried Ikan Bilis,rice and mix well, then season with salt or soy sauce.
4.Garnish with shredded omelette and serve immediately.

Variation
You can change mixed vegetable with thinly sliced cabbage or any other vegetable of your choice.
In my home we always use fried shallot to garnish our food, you may change omelette with shallot or just put them in together.

Tips
By all means, Ikan bilis are anchovies.Even at home, its easier to find dried and salted Ikan bilis than the fresh ones.

Lentil Rice

Ingredients

4 tablespoons ghee
2 oinions, thinly sliced
2cm ginger,thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1kg Basmathi rice, washed and drained
1600ml water or according to the rice used
125ml Full cream milk
2 1/2 tablespoons chicken stock
100 gram red lentils (mysore), soaked
1 tablespoon margarine
salt to taste
sliced spring onion
fried sliced shallot

Steps
1.Heat ghee and stir fry onion,ginger and garlic until lightly brown,or until fragrant
2.Add in rice, fry until rice coated with spices. Transfer mixture to electric rice cooker.
3.Add in water, full cream milk,chicken stock,lentils,margarine and salt to taste.Cook until rice is done.
4.Garnish with spring onion and fried shallot.

Very Simple and delicious.

All About Rice

Since, currently I'm in Asia, Malaysia to be exact, This month, I'm going to feature recipes about rice, the main food in most Asian countries. Everybody is welcome to contribute their recipes into this blog and I'll put it into its respective category. Enjoy !!!