Black Pepper Fried Rice

There are some days, you know, when your mind just freezes. I knew I was having one of those days after staring at the fridge for 15 minutes (or was it an eternity?) without coming up with a single idea of what to make for dinner. Chinese takeout tonight, hubby suggested helpfully sensing my stupor. Aha, of course! I beamed as the light bulb flashed. Restaurant-style yes, but not from a restaurant! Getting into action, I sliced & diced the available veggies in our fridge, tossed them together with yesterday's leftover rice & added a healthy dose of seasonings - black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, & garlic to throw in a extra punchy taste. And.... hey persto! & Voila!! & yummm!!! & OMG!!!! My Black Pepper Fried Rice creation turned out to be so amazingly zesty, aromatic & delicious that it beats hands-down (in my humble opinion) even our favorite Asian restaurant's fried rice offering.

This Black Pepper Fried Rice brings the restaurant-style taste to your dinner table sans the grease. Delectable, peppy, quick & easy-to-make, it is full of healthy veggies that are sauteed only as much as needed so they retain their nutrients. The myriad seasonings ensure that the dish is not bland or flat, it has a taste of its own & can be a complete meal in itself. I picked the combination of veggies that offer the best restaurant-style taste. However, the Black Pepper Fried Rice is a very versatile dish - you can adjust the seasoning & the veggies or add your choice of meat, to suit your preference or to suit whatever's in your fridge's inventory. Serve up this winner at the dinner table, at parties, or in kids lunchboxes - you can't go wrong. Looking to order a Chinese takeout tonight? You know what to do :)

BLACK  PEPPER  FRIED  RICE  RECIPE

Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients:

4 cups Cooked Rice (long grain rice); a day old to prevent mushiness

1/3 cup shredded Cabbage

1/4 cup chopped Carrot

1/4 cup chopped Red Bell Pepper

1/3 cup chopped White Onion

1/2 cup chopped Green Onion; white parts separated

1 tbsp minced fresh Garlic; peeled

2-3 tbsp Soy Sauce or to taste

1/2 tbsp White Vinegar

1 tsp Sesame Oil

2 Eggs; lightly beaten

1 1/4 tsp Black Pepper or to taste

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

How to make Fried Rice

1. Remove the rice from refrigerator 15 - 20 minutes before use. Separate the grains gently with your hands. Keep aside.
2. Heat 1/4 tsp of oil on medium heat in a non-stick pan. Add beaten eggs, swirl the egg quickly to make a pancake. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute until its just set. Flip the egg & cook the other side for 10 seconds or until set. Remove & cut into small strips. Keep aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok on medium - high heat, swirl to coat the wok. Add garlic & saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add chopped white onion, white parts of the green onion & carrot. Saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add bell pepper & saute for a minute.
6. Add cabbage & saute for another minute.
7. Add cooked rice & stir-fry for 2 minutes. 
8. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar & black pepper. Stir-fry until the rice is fully coated. Add chopped eggs, green part of the green onions & mix.
9. Taste & add salt (soy sauce already has salt in it). Adjust seasoning as per your taste. Stir-fry until the rice is heated through. Serve hot.

Tips:

1. This recipe works best with day-old cold rice.
2. Chop your veggies in a uniform shape & size to ensure even cooking.
3. This recipe is pretty versatile. You can use veggies of your choice, however always remember the hardest-to-cook veggie goes in first while stir-frying.
4. You can also add cooked meats of your choice. Add the meat at the same as adding the sauces in step 8.
5. I have followed the restaurant-style preparation, wherein the egg is prepared separately & added to the fried rice at the end. The easier alternative of cooking the egg in the wok along with veggies & rice will cover the veggies & rice with egg gunk - an unappetizing prospect & hence not recommended.