KITCHEN TABLE

It’s rice, it’s fried, what’s not to love?

Pad Thai Fried Rice from the book Fried Rice by Danielle Centoni.

Creative new ways to stir up old favourites from all corners of the world and use up that leftover cold rice! These recipes are from Danielle Centoni’s book, Fried Rice, published by Sasquatch Books, $19.95.

Pad Thai Fried Rice With Shrimp and Spinach

1/4 cup tamarind concentrate

2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sambal olek

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp vegetable or extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts cut into 1-inch lengths; dark green tops, thinly sliced and reserved for garnish

4 cups beans sprouts, divided

8 oz peeled and deveined medium shrimp

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups cold cooked rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped fresh spinach or pea shoots

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1 lime, cut into wedges

In a small bowl, stir together the tamarind concentrate, brown sugar, fish sauce and sambal olek. Set aside. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in  large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the 1-inch green onions and 2 cups of bean sprouts, and sauté until green onions are seared, about 3 mins. Transfer to a plate.

Heat another tsp of oil and add the shrimp. Sauté until pink, about 3 mins. Transfer to the plate with onions and sprouts.

Add another tsp of oil and the beaten egg and cook, stirring, until scrambled. Transfer to the plate.

Heat the remaining tsp of oil and add the rice.

Sauté until warmed through and softened, then continue sautéing until the rice seems firm again, about 3 mins. Add the garlic and cook 1 min. more. Add the spinach or pea shoots, and the vegetables, meat and egg from the plate.

Drizzle with the tamarind sauce. Cook, stirring until the sauce is evenly distributed and everything is heated through.

Divide fried rice among plates. Garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

Vaghrelo Bhaat Gujarati Fried Rice

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1 tbsp black or brown mustard seeds

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1-1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups cold cooked basmati rice

1-1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 plain Greek yoghurt

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the peanuts and sauté until they look and smell toasted, about 2 mins. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken on an even layer (you may have to sauté in batches), season with salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 mins. Transfer to the bowl with the nuts.

Heat the remaining tsp of oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow to toast for a few seconds until they start to pop.

Fried Rice by Danielle Centoni is published by Sasquatch Books, $19.95.

Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 mins. Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, chili powder and garlic and sauté 1 min. more. Add the rice and sauté until warmed through and softened, then continue sautéing until the rice seems firm again, about 3 mins. If necessary, add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of water to help the spices evenly distribute.

Add the peas and carrots and cook until warmed through.

Add the chicken, peanuts and lemon zest, stirring until evenly incorporated. Drizzle the rice with lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine cilantro, yoghurt, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Divide the fried rice among bowls and top with the cilantro yoghurt.

How to make the rice fluffy. For the fluffiest grains, you need to give the rice time to steam off some of the liquid it absorbed. Once the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, remove the pot from heat, take off the lid, and cover the pot with a dish towel. The dish towel keeps the heat inside while absorbing some of the steam and letting the rest pass through. Allow to sit for 10 mins before gently fluffing with a fork.