Want Restaurant-Style Fried Rice? These 5 Simple Tricks Make All the Difference

Does your fried rice always end up soft and lumpy at home? Just follow these 5 simple tricks, and you can make that perfect, smoky, restaurant-style fried rice right in your kitchen.

We've all been there. You try to make fried rice at home, and it just becomes a simple stir-fried rice, nothing like the one from a restaurant. But when you eat it out, it feels like pure magic. The difference is all in the technique. Today, we'll share 5 secret tricks from chefs that will help you get that perfect restaurant taste at home.

Making restaurant-style fried rice isn't that difficult, but it's not super easy either. At home, we often end up with a simple mix of rice and veggies that just doesn't have that special flavour.

So, how do you make delicious fried rice at home?

• The rice must be a day old. If you use freshly cooked hot rice, it will just turn into a paste. Pro-tip: Cook your rice the night before and keep it in the fridge. The next day, the grains will be cool, firm, and perfectly separate. When you cook the rice, add 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. This will make the grains non-sticky.
• Use high flame and a hot wok. If you cook on low heat, the rice just steams and gets soggy. Pro-tip: Heat an iron wok or a large non-stick pan until it starts smoking. This is what they call "Wok Hei" – that amazing smoky flavour you get in restaurants comes from this very technique.
• Fry everything separately. If you throw everything in together, the pan will cool down. Pro-tip: First, cook the egg, then the vegetables, and finally the rice. This way, your veggies will stay crunchy and their colour won't fade.
• Use less sauce and get the timing right. Too much soy sauce will make the rice dark and soft. For 2 cups of rice, you only need 1 teaspoon of light soy, 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy, and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar. And here's a trick: pour the sauce along the hot sides of the pan, not directly on the rice.
• The final touch is a must. Just one minute before you take it off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, some black pepper powder, and spring onions. Give it two quick stirs on high heat and turn off the gas.

Quick Recipe - Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients: 2 cups of day-old rice, 1 egg, 1/2 cup mixed vegetables, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, salt, black pepper, oil.

Method:

1. Heat the wok on high flame, scramble the egg, and set it aside.
2. Sauté the garlic and vegetables for 1 minute and set them aside.
3. Add some oil to the pan, then add the rice. Fry for 2 minutes without stirring too much.
4. Add back the egg, vegetables, and sauce. Stir everything vigorously on high heat.
5. Garnish with black pepper and spring onions before serving.

So, if you have leftover rice at home, you can instantly whip up some restaurant-style fried rice. This way, no food is wasted, and you get a delicious new dish to enjoy.