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Schezwan fried rice
Schezwan fried rice: Mumbai street-cart fried rice with shredded vegetables and fiery Schezwan sauce
Schezwan fried rice is a star of Mumbai's Indo-Chinese carts, where it is tossed in huge woks late into the evening for office workers heading home; at home it is the best thing to do with last night's rice. Cold rice is fried hard with garlic, carrot, cabbage, pepper and spring onion, then coated in red Schezwan sauce until every grain is orange and hot. It is spicy, garlicky and slightly smoky. The common mistake is using freshly cooked warm rice, which clumps and turns mushy. Chef's tip: break up the cold rice with your fingers before it goes in, so it hits the wok as separate grains. Leftover rice must have been cooled quickly (spread out, into the fridge within an hour) and used within a day; fry it until it is piping hot all the way through and steaming, and never reheat it a second time.
- Total time
- 13 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb cooked ricecold from the fridge
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 3 spring onionswhites and greens sliced separately
- 1 carrotsmall, cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 ½ oz white cabbagefinely shredded
- ½ green pepper (capsicum)thinly sliced
- 2 ½ tbsp Schezwan sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salttaste first; the sauces are salty
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Crumble 1 ⅛ lb cooked rice with your fingers so there are no lumps.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat until shimmering. Add 3 cloves garlic and the white part of 1 ½ spring onions and stir for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 carrot, 3 ½ oz white cabbage and ½ green pepper (capsicum) and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until they wilt slightly but still crunch.
2 minStep 4: Add 2 ½ tbsp Schezwan sauce and stir for 30 seconds so it fries in the oil and darkens.
1 minStep 5: Tip in the rice and toss over a high heat, pressing and turning, until every grain is coated and the rice is steaming and piping hot all the way through.
3 minStep 6: Season with 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, ¼ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp salt, toss once more, scatter with the green part of 1 ½ spring onions and serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does schezwan fried rice take?
- About 13 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cooked rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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