Rice

Method

In a hot wok, heat approx 300ml oil until very hot. Add beaten egg and allow it to puff up and cook quickly in the hot oil, rotating the wok so the raw egg can spill over the cooked egg. Flip over and allow to continue cooking for 30 seconds or so, then place onto kitchen paper to drain excess oil. While pan still very hot, fry off the bacon or ham until crispy.

With heat still high, add carrots and capsicum and continue to fry until tender. Reduce the heat to medium and gently fry off onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Mix well.

Crumble in the cooked, cold rice and mix well to incorporate all the vegetables with the rice.

Add the corn kernels and frozen peas. Stir well.

Drizzle kecap manis over the top and add a tablespoon or so of dark soy.

Fry on low to medium heat stirring regularly to make sure rice isn’t sticking. Just before serving, add chopped cooked egg and the spring onions.

Method

Gently rinse basmati rice under cold water until most of the starch is removed. Place into a saucepan with cold water. Mix the taco seasoning with a little hot water and add to the rice. Stir well.

Bring to a rapid boil and boil until small craters appear on the surface of the rice. Reduce heat to lowest setting - use a simmer mat on smallest burner for best results - cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and serve.

Optional extras:

Oven roasted capsicums cut into small dice and toss through the rice flesh of a ripe tomato, finely diced (seeds removed)

½ cup finely chopped spring onions

½ cup grated tasty cheddar. Just before serving, plate up the rice and nuke (to melt the cheese, if it hasn’t already!) for 1 minute.

Spiced Saffron Rice

4 cups basmati rice

4 cups water approx

4 cardamon pods, crushed

1 cinnamon quill

4 cloves

½ tsp saffron threads

Steamed Rice - Absorption method

2 cups long grain (Basmati) rice

2 cups cold water

Method

Thoroughly wash rice until liquid runs clear, being sure not to bruise or crush the rice grains while washing. Place into a saucepan and cover with water. I place my fingertips touching the rice and allow water level to reach my first knuckle, which gives a fluffy rice, not overloaded with too much water.

Infuse saffron in 1 Tblsp hot water for a minute or 2 and add to the rice cooker along with crushed cardamon pods, cloves and cinnamon quill.

Cook as for Steamed Rice Absorption method (see below) from Method point 3.

Discard pods, cloves and quill before serving.

Method

1. Wash rice thoroughly but gently under cold water until liquid runs clear (ish)

2. Bring water to a rapid boil and add the rice.

3. Partially cover saucepan with lid - allowing a little room for steam to escape - and bring back to the boil and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until craters/holes appear in the surface of the rice.

4. Cover saucepan with tightly fitting lid, turn the heat to lowest setting and use a simmer mat if you have one, and cook for a further 10 minutes.

5. Remove lid and fluff rice with a fork.