Informal poll time: How often do you have leftover plain cooked rice hanging around?

If you’re me, the answer is “not very often”. I have gone as far as making too much rice and trying to save some for the next day, but really, that requires more forethought than I usually have. But sometimes, the craving for fried rice is just too strong.

When you don’t have leftover rice to hand, you can always just cook some up, and then … wait for it… spread it out on an oven tray and let it dry out and cool off for about 30 minutes. You could also put it in the oven on low heat for 10 minutes to dry it out.

I love a big, steamy bowl of rice with a little bit of garlicky sriracha and salty soy sauce, and maybe something else on the side.

I wrote this for the veggies I had, but you can use these or change some up, you could always add some carrots, broccoli or kale. You can also use white rice or brown rice – whatever you’re in the mood for.

On the Counter

Serves: 4

475 g (3 cups) cooked day-old or dried rice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
6 small radishes, sliced
2 eggs
3 scallions / spring onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
250 g (8 oz) button or chestnut mushrooms (or shiitake if you have them)
srirarcha hot sauce for drizzling

What to Do

Heat the sesame oil in a wok or wide-bottomed sautee pan until it shimmers. Add in the garlic and mushrooms, and fry, stirring frequently, until mushrooms begin to soften.

Stir in the rice and fry for a minute, then make a well in the center of the rice.

Crack the eggs into the center, and start mixing the rice into the egg until the egg is mixed in.

Add in the peas, soy sauce and radishes, and cook for another 5 minute, stirring frequently, until the peas are hot.

Serve up your egg-fried rice, top it with scallions / spring onions and squirt on the sriracha.