Why I have never thought to dress leftover rice with something other than soy sauce, sesame oil, and a showering of scallions escapes me. Indian. Fried. Rice. Where have you been my whole life? To be clear: this isn’t exactly fried rice — there’s no frying of the leftover rice. And how nice, too? There’s nothing to stress over: Is the rice old/dry enough? Will it fry well enough? Will I have the patience to let it brown before I push it around? Here, leftover rice is simply dressed with spices, herbs, acid, and fat. (Also: peanuts, caramelized onions and chilies). The balance of flavors, the textures, and, of course, the use of day-old rice evokes fried rice, but the process is different; easier, too.
Four Steps to Make Indian-Fried Rice
The whole combination is completely irresistible. I find adjusting the flavor at the end with more lime and salt to taste to be essential — I like lots of each. This dish is strikingly pretty and makes me want to invite people over for an Indian-ish meal, maybe starring these curried chickpeas with cauliflower and coconut milk or this cumin- and coriander-spiced sheet pan chicken.
Indian-ish:
This recipe comes from Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish, a book that has already taught me more about Indian cooking than any other. To be fair to other Indian cookbooks I own, I haven’t given them a great go; but to Indian-ish’s credit, no other has been as welcoming. Throughout the book there are helpful guides that demystify the many and often-used spices and lentils as well as charts simplifying cooking techniques like dal and chhonk — also known as tadka or tempering or, in Priya’s words, “the greatest Indian cooking technique ever.” (Chhonk is ghee or oil infused with spices, then poured over a finished dish. This fried rice recipe gets double chhonked: first with curry leaves and mustard seed; then with onions and chilies.) I have only cooked a few dishes from Indian-ish, but I feel I already have a better grasp on how to cook a cuisine I have always loved and always found a little too daunting to tackle at home. I will be sure to keep you posted on all of my Indian-ish experiments, those chhonk-ified and otherwise. Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients. Dress day-old basmati rice with fresh lime juice and salt. Heat ghee (or olive oil) with mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Add peanuts. Pour this mixture over the rice. Return the pan to the stovetop and sauté a sliced onion with a few halved hot chilies.
Add the onions and chilies to the bowl of rice along with some chopped cilantro. Toss. Taste. Add more lime and salt to taste. Serve.
Such a fun book: Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish
5 from 4 reviews Notes:
The original recipe calls for 8 tablespoons of ghee total, but I think it’s equally delicious with 4 tablespoons. If you’re not afraid, use 8! Ghee: Inspired by the book, I made a batch of ghee. Unsalted butter or olive oil are fine substitutes. Curry leaves may require some hunting to track down. I bought mine at the Karam Asian Grocery & Halal Meat in Schenectady. If you don’t feel like searching for them, simply omit. Peanuts: I’ve been using Planters roasted and salted … it hasn’t been making the dish too salty.
