Schezwan Fried Rice

A spicy, popular rice dish made in India, this recipe is in no way connected to Sichuan province in China
Ingredients - Serves 6
  • 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 medium-sized (or 300 g) carrots, chopped
  • 2 green capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded and chopped
  • ½ cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces, optional
  • ¼ cup green peas, optional
  • ¼ cup green cabbage, finely chopped, optional
  • 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced, optional
  • 1 small tomato, sliced, optional
  • Salt, to taste
  • For the schezwan chilli paste
  • 3-4 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes
  • ¼ cup onions, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp ground sichuan peppers, optional
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 3-4 cloves (or 15 g) of garlic
  • 1" piece (or 10 g) of ginger
  • 2 tsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp white or brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp oil
Steps
  1. Cook the rice separately
    2. An {electric rice cooker} can be useful
  2. Spread out on a large trap and let it cool
  3. To make the schezwan chilli paste
    1. Grind the ginger, garlic, onions and red chillies to make a smooth paste
      2. Use a {mortar and pestle} if you are making small quantities. Otherwise, use a {spice mill}, {Indian mixie grinder} or {magic bullet} or something similar. Regular blenders are too large, so they will just toss the contents around instead of grinding them
    2. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large wok. Add the red chilli paste and saute for 1 minute
    3. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sichuan pepper, black pepper and 2 tbsp of water. Cook till the water is all gone and you can see oil separating out from the paste
  4. To make the fried rice
    1. Add the spring onions and all the vegetables to the chilli paste in the same wok and stir-fry on high heat for 3 minutes
    2. Once done, add the rice and mix well. Sprinkle some salt, if needed, and mix well
    3. Serve hot with fresh tomato and cucumber slices
By on