Chinese Fried Rice

Two of my tastiest  memories of Chinese Fried Rice was when we had this dish at a restaurant in Dalhousie some 15 odd years ago and when my friend cooked it for lunch when we were in college. I learned it from my friend and every time I cook it I try to make it the exact same way. Its a simple procedure once you have the various sauces and spices in your pantry. You can make this with fresh or stale rice, stale rice cooks better as some of the moisture has been lost in storage. If you are using freshly cooked rice, cool it completely before frying it. With french beans, there is a thread by the side which has to be removed, don't forget to remove it.  Here is how it goes...

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice

1/2 large onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch knob of ginger, grated

1 green and red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup mixed vegetables - peas, carrots cut in roundels, french beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small head of cabbage, chopped 

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce or 1 tablespoon red chili sauce or green chili sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt, add at the end since soy sauce is quite salty

Heat oil in a large wok. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Then add the onions and ginger and cook till they are tender. Then add the other vegetables and quickly saute on high heat/flame. Continue till they soften a little, approx 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add all the sauces and pepper. Add the rice and stir on high heat. Adjust for salt and add sauces as per taste. Serve hot!