NEVER Pour Soy Sauce on Your Fried Rice Again — Try This Old Chinese Wok Trick, by Asian Solutions on YouTube. 21 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 21 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water for about 30 seconds, until the water runs mostly clear. This washes off loose surface starch that makes grains stick together.
Use about 1 part rice to 1.2 parts water for long grain rice. Add the rice and water to the pot and let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes so the grains hydrate evenly.
Bring the pot to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes without stirring.
Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 minutes. The rice finishes steaming and the grains firm up.
Spread the hot rice on a baking tray or wide dish in a thin layer. Break up any clumps with a fork or spatula.
Let the rice cool uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight. Cold, dry rice fries best.
Before frying, break the chilled rice apart with your fingers or a spatula. Heat your wok until it is very hot before adding oil and the rice.
Season the rice in the wok with salt, a splash of light soy sauce or other seasoning, and toss constantly so the grains toast instead of steaming.
Tips and common mistakes
Skip the soy sauce at the start and season lightly near the end, or the rice absorbs too much liquid and turns soggy.
Use day-old chilled rice when you can. Freshly cooked warm rice steams in the wok and clumps together.
Do not stir the rice while it boils. Stirring releases starch and makes the grains glue together.
Keep the wok very hot and cook in small batches so the rice fries rather than stews.
Questions
Can I use freshly cooked rice for fried rice?
Yes, but spread it on a tray and cool it completely first. Warm rice holds too much moisture and turns sticky in the wok.
What rice is best for fried rice?
Long grain varieties such as jasmine or basmati work well because they stay separate. Short grain rice is stickier and harder to fry.
How long can I keep cooked rice in the fridge?
Keep it covered and chilled and use it within a day or two. Reheat it thoroughly until piping hot before eating.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
