The Cantonese rice is a typical Chinese dish, but it’s widespread worldwide. It’s a very simple preparation where you can find various ingredient variations. Mainly, it consists of boiled rice with added vegetables and meat; in my case, peas, eggs, and cooked ham, but you could add mushrooms, shrimp, chicken, carrots, etc. In China, it is called chǎo fàn, meaning fried rice. In this recipe, I propose a very simple version, and for the type of rice, I chose Basmati, but you can also use Ribe. If we wanted, we could compare Cantonese rice to a classic Italian rice salad….. So you just have to try it!!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
- 3 1/2 oz diced cooked ham
- 3 1/2 oz frozen peas
- 3 eggs
- 3 1/2 tbsp rice wine or dry white wine
- salt
- oil to taste
- chives (optional)
- soy sauce to taste (optional)
Tools
- Pan
- Wok
Steps
First, prepare the rice. Rinse the rice multiple times until the water is clear, then fill the pan with water and add the rice, add some salt, cover, and cook over higher heat for the first two minutes until it starts boiling. Lower the heat and continue for another 10 minutes or according to the cooking time on the rice package. Do not open the lid or stir it during this time; at the end of cooking, turn off the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes. The rice should absorb all the water. Then, transfer it to a container and fluff it to avoid sticking.
Meanwhile, as the rice cools, prepare the other ingredients. Boil some water in a saucepan, add the peas with a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Dice the cooked ham.
In the wok, add some oil, heat it well, and then add the eggs, let them set slightly, and then scramble them.
Once they are set, add the rice and stir well, then add the peas and diced ham.
Combine the ingredients with the rice and deglaze with the wine, let it evaporate, adjust the salt, and turn off the heat. If you like, add some chives.
Your Cantonese rice is ready!!
Storage
Cantonese rice is best enjoyed freshly made, but you can store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
