Where’s my carrot?

Yangchow Continental: How to Prepare Yangchow Fried Rice

October 29th, 2009

Rice is one of the most popular staple foods in the world. More than half of the world’s people eat rice, and most of them are in Asia. In a sense, eating rice is considered to be the embodiment of Asian cuisine. Asians love rice, and cook it in a variety of ways.

Yangchow rice is one of the most popular ways of cooking leftover steamed rice. This recipe, as it is called Yangchow Continental, would call for more readily available ingredients in a Western kitchen. This is a very economical yet classy way to eat with family and friends, as you could improvise and use left over meat and vegetables as toppings. You could also modify the ingredients to make it more palatable to children as well as adults.

Try this recipe, and start discovering the wonders of making fried rice.

Ingredients for Yangchow Continental:

1 cup of one or more, cut into ½ inch squares of the following: ham, bacon, salami, chicken, or sausages
1/4 cup white onions, diced
1 can button mushrooms, sliced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups pre-cooked rice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 small bunch of green onions, sliced finely
1/2-1 tsp sesame oil
Cooking oil for sautéing
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedures on How to Cook Yangchow Continental:

In a wok, heat some oil and add the beaten eggs to make a thin omelet. After cooking, cool it down, and slice it into thin strips.
Heat some oil in the same wok, and turn up the heat to make the oil smoke. Saute the onions until translucent.
Add the meats, one at a time. This would maintain the high temperature of the wok, and facilitate faster cooking.
Add the mushroom, peas, and carrots. Add the soy sauce next.
Saute the mixture for at least 2 minutes or until it sizzles. Add the rice next.
Add the omelet strips. Add the sesame oil. Sesame oil is added to give the fried rice its Asian aroma.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Constantly mix the fried rice until it is heated.
Garnish with the green onions before serving.