Fried rice is one of those dishes that every cooking enthusiast has in their arsenal. The dish is super simple and super-fast to cook up, but more importantly, it is super delicious. It is also versatile, being able to serve as a side dish or a full meal by itself. But while you don’t have to be a master chef to get the fried rice correct, it is fairly easy to mess it up if you are not careful with the small details. To avoid this from happening again, check out these three major mistakes you want to avoid when making fried rice.
Using Rice as Soon as You Cook It
It is easy to assume that freshly cooked rice is the best starting point for good fried rice. However, that is not the case. If you want to have perfect fried rice, you should use cold cooked rice. Preparing it the day before and chilling it in the refrigerator is preferable. Cold rice will fry better than warm rice and prevents clumps.
Not Seasoning the Rice
Seasoning is crucial for making great fried rice, and we’re not just talking about some salt and pepper. If you want to avoid a bland taste, throw in a bit of soy sauce or oyster sauce. This will take your fried rice to a whole new level.
Using Wrong Equipment and Technique
The equipment you use to make fried rice is also important. You want to have a deep and wide pan, preferably a wok, in order to be able to toss the rice and have it equally fried instead of soggy and steamed. Speaking about tossing, the best technique to do it is by working your spatula downward at an angle of 45-degrees.
