Ginger fried rice and kung pao style vegetables

Ginger fried rice, an easy cook with ingredients so easily available in the kitchen. With all the Quarantine Cooking going around – it is the best time to experiment and cook with the ingredients at hand. And since we are all inside, you have to keep your spirits high with good food! We always try to balance out a day of a regular dal cook, with something exciting the next day. Usually mum is the one to make rice dishes at home, but I have been itching to cook ginger fried rice.

Unlike the OG fried rice, I did one without eggs. Along with stir-fried vegetables, made inspired by the Kung Pao chicken that I had been craving. Noodles more up your alley? Check these recipes out – Vegetable Pad thai noodles, Crack Noodles and 5 minute Thai Noodles.

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Ingredients – Ginger Fried Rice for 4

• Rice – 2 cups
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Ginger – 3-inch piece
• Onion, finely chopped – 1, small
• Carrot, finely chopped – 1/2 cup
• Capsicum, finely chopped – 1/2 cup
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Ingredients for Kung Pao style vegetables

• Cauliflower, cut into florets – 1 head, about 400g
• Zucchini, chopped – 1, medium-sized
• Onions, peeled, – 1, medium-sized
• Capsicum, chopped – 1, medium
• Garlic, chopped – 8 to 10 cloves
• Chilli sauce – 2 tbsp
• Corn flour – 2 tbsp
• Rice flour – 1 tbsp
• Whole red chillies – 4 (Use more if you want to turn up the heat)
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
• Honey – 1 tbsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Cashew nuts, coarsely chopped – 7 to 8
• Salt – to taste

Method for Ginger Fried Rice

• Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.
• Peel and julienne the ginger piece.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes so that it is fragrant.
• Add the onions and cook till translucent. Add in the ginger, carrots and capsicum and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
• Drain the rice water and put them all in the pan. Give it a good mix, and season with salt.
• Cook for two minutes, and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, simmer and cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Keep checking on it to avoid burning. But it comes together pretty easily.

Method for Kung Pao style vegetables

• In a bowl, mix together 1 tbsp cornflour, rice flour, 1 tbsp chilli sauce and a little bit of water. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. In an oven-proof dish, add the cauliflower and add the chilli coating. Cook at 180 degrees for 25 minutes for crunchy cauliflower.
• Meanwhile, make the onion petals, just cut the onion into quarters and peel off each layer.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook till fragrant. Add the whole red chillies and cook for a minute, add the onion petals and cook until transparent.
• Add in the cashews, zucchini and capsicum, cook for another five minutes.
• Season with some salt.
• Mix the chilli sauce and soy sauce in the pan. Add 1/2 cup of water, and cauliflower and mix well.
• Add the cooked cauliflower into the pan, reduce for 2-3 minutes.
• Drizzle the honey, mix and cook for another minute.