Even though this meal is delicious, a small error in preparation could ruin your efforts and cause your elite fried rice to become something else.
When it comes to premium rice, jollof and fried rice are competing for first place. Fried rice originated in China and has since evolved from a simple dish of rice and vegetables to a dish prepared in many different ways around the world.
To avoid spoiling your elite dish, here are three mistakes to avoid when cooking fried rice:
- Cooking your rice till it’s too soft
Overcooking is the first error to avoid when making fried rice. Most fried rice recipes call for boiling the rice as the first step. It is crucial to keep in mind that the act of frying your vegetables and rice also exposes your rice to additional heat, making it even softer.
Given this, there is no need to add a lot of water when boiling the rice because doing so will result in mushy fried rice, which no one likes. If you’re unsure of how much water to add when boiling, you can always start out with a small amount and then monitor the situation, adding more water as needed.
- Overcrowding your frying pan/wok
Overloading your frying pan, wok, or other cooking vessel is another error to avoid while preparing your fried rice. This is incorrect because making fried rice requires a lot of stirring, and you need enough room to do it continuously or at least as much as is required.
Filling your pan to capacity prevents this. If you don’t have a large enough frying pan or wok, cooking in batches is a good way to avoid this. This makes it easier to stir properly and guarantees that all the vegetables are prepared correctly.
- Not storing properly
The common complaint about Nigerian fried rice is how quickly it spoils. This is actually due to the high oil content, which creates the ideal environment for the growth of microorganisms that not only contaminate your food but can also result in food poisoning.
This is why it’s crucial to properly store food right away after cooking. After dishing out what you can eat for the day, you can put the leftover fried rice in the refrigerator as one option. Reheating right away is another option, especially if you fried in batches.
Additionally, you could only fry the quantity of food you actually need for that day and store the remaining boiled rice and vegetables in the fridge.
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