Spice up your life with this ‘spice of life’ fried rice!

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 - There are days when I need sambal and chillies in everything. Give me curries and give me spicy stews. "Heat = flavour” seems to be my guiding mantra.

But if you have been paying attention to the weather lately, heat is the last thing we need more of. The weather is sweltering during the day, despite the evening downpours.

The humidity would drain the very soul from our beings. Eating spicy food is the last thing I need.

Which makes it a bit of a conundrum for I have been craving some fried rice recently. Hardly a good idea given how fiery I like my fried rice to be: More heat upon heat? That is a sore throat waiting to happen, surely.

But desires must be answered. Yearnings must be placated.

This is where a dictionary or thesaurus comes in handy in the kitchen too. For spice doesn’t always equate heat and a screaming fire alarm.

There are gentler spices, those who cajole our taste buds with pungency and delicacy, leaving us satiated and soothed.

You can spice up your life with this "spice of life” fried rice that employs not chillies or sambal but a secret ingredient – five-spice powder.

The secret ingredient: five-spice powder.

Yes, it says "spice” in its very name but fret not. The quintet of spices used in this classic Chinese culinary blend are milder and more complex: star anise (bājiǎo), fennel seeds (xiǎohuíxiāng), cloves (dīngxiāng), Chinese cinnamon (ròuguì) and Sichuan pepper (huājiāo).

What we get here is a complete package of the five elements – sweet, sour, salty, savoury and bitter. Which is common enough in braised stews or marinades for meat or even a dusting for fried chicken.

But who knew it could work so well in fried rice too? Spice without being spicy, if that makes sense.

As your taste buds celebrate the profusion of flavours, each dancing in harmony with others, you’d be wondering why you haven’t been spicing up your life in this manner before. Well, now you have.

‘SPICE OF LIFE’ FRIED RICE

Use whatever type of rice you like. I like parboiled basmati rice the best but really, any sort would work – from short grain sushi rice to more toothsome brown rice. Just make sure it’s leftover rice so that the starches have time to settle.

Use whatever type of rice you like.

For aromatics, I prefer garlic for my fried rice – particularly the non-spicy type, which requires a lighter hand. I save the shallots and onions for the spicier versions, where they help to accentuate the chilli or sambal paste used.

No fried rice is complete without some form of vegetables or fibre. I like to keep things simple here however, resorting to my usual "whatever is in the pantry” trick.

Slicing and dicing the vegetables used.

Here I have benefitted from a variety of vegetables – carrots, celery and leafy greens – that I had in the chiller and that needed using up. You may use whatever you have; the key thing is to slice and dice them till they are bite-sized and easy to stir fry with the rice.

Besides the eggs, the main protein source is some pre-cooked prawns that I had. In the past, I have used uncooked prawns as they are very fast to cook; the hassle comes from peeling and cleaning them (never forget to remove the veins!).

Pre-cooked prawns can be a lifesaver, saving the hassle of peeling and cleaning.

This is where having some pre-cooked prawns in the fridge or freezer can be helpful. Just throw them into your fried rice (or soup or noodles) at the end of cooking, stir to incorporate, and you’re done.

Sometimes when I have odds and ends of proteins in the freezer, from squid to tuna, I will add these in too towards the end of cooking, along with the prawns. Remember: pantry magic.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

2 cups leftover cooked white rice, preferably parboiled rice

2 tablespoons oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of mixed vegetables (e.g. carrots, celery, leafy greens), sliced/diced

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

100g pre-cooked prawns

Soy sauce and ground white pepper to taste

Method

First, beat the eggs until well combined then pour over the leftover rice. Allow to soak for a few minutes while you begin to cook the rest of the ingredients.

Add the oil to a large wok set over high heat. When hot, add the minced garlic and sauté quickly till fragrant.

Now add the egg-soaked rice. Never stop stirring to make sure you break up large clumps of rice. This prevents any grains from sticking to the bottom of the wok and ensures an even scrambling of the eggs.

Once the cooked egg bits have begun to form, season with the five-spice powder, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Stir well to incorporate.

Add the pre-cooked prawns to the wok to warm them up. Check the taste and season with some soy sauce and ground white pepper accordingly.

Mix well, then remove the wok from the heat. Dish the fried rice into individual bowls or plates. Serve immediately.

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