The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.
There are a few different seasonings that make fried rice taste just right. The most important sauces to add are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice. All three add unique flavors to rice, but it can be easy to go overboard.
Chefs cook with high-quality woks and powerful heat
Basically, it's the irreplaceable, steaming-hot aroma and taste that can only be created at the highest temperatures with a wok. Chinese restaurants have high-quality woks and commercial-grade burners that allow them to cook at high heat.
One tip is to never fry with cold rice right out of the fridge – be sure to take the overnight rice out of the fridge beforehand and warm it up briefly in the microwave. It should be barely warm or at least room temperature when you start cooking, otherwise it won't be able to absorb the flavours from frying.
I usually use soy sauce, as it is the most familiar to most people. However, fish sauce and Braggs Liquid Aminos are both great options as well. Simply add a few drops of whichever sauce you choose to the fried rice while it is cooking. This will help to enhance the flavors of the dish and make it even more delicious.
Fried rice can be very unhealthy dish given that it is a very carb and fat heavy dish from the rice and heavy oil usage, and not enough protein content -- an average restaurant serving of fried rice is about 800 calories. However, it's easy to make a healthier version of fried rice by portioning ingredients mindfully.
Jasmine rice is a type of long-grain rice that is commonly used in Chinese restaurants. It has a light, delicate flavor and a slightly sticky texture. Jasmine rice is named after the Jasmine flower, which has a similar aroma.
What oil do Chinese takeaways use for fried rice? They use soybean oil. It's cheap and has a high smoke point, making it ideal for wok cooking.
The Japanese version of this dish uses a short-grain variety, which is a common sushi roll ingredient. The short-grain variety tastes slightly stickier and chewier. On the other hand, the Chinese version uses a long-grain variety, so you get a firmer bite without the glutinous taste of its Japanese counterpart.
Fried rice is a traditional Chinese preparation of cooked rice, vegetables, protein, soy sauce, and aromatics. The ingredients are stir-fried in a large pan or wok for even flavor distribution.
- Freshly cooked rice is hot, steamy, very moist and a little sticky ? this will make your fried rice clumpy and soggy. - Day-old rice is dryer and will give your fried rice a good texture and will bring out the individual flavours of the other ingredients.
The ingredients used by Chinese chefs to cook dishes are fantastic. Herbs and spices included in Chinese cuisine make each dish taste like heaven. We also can't forget about all the delicious types of sauces that make the dishes mouth-watering.
The large restaurant stoves are capable of producing more intense heat than a home range. Foods are seared quickly at these higher temperatures and often brown a bit at the edges. This is a decided asset to the Chinese technique of stir-frying and helps contribute to a complexly flavored dish.
Composition. Glutinous rice is distinguished from other types of rice by having no (or negligible amounts of) amylose and high amounts of amylopectin (the two components of starch). Amylopectin is responsible for the sticky quality of glutinous rice.
The vegetables, meat and rice leftovers from the day before—which have passed their prime but are still good to consume, and too good to be fed to animals—are seasoned with soy sauce, lard and garlic, and stir-fried, making a hot meal.
In the case of Chinese fried rice, chefs usually sauté all the vegetables in oil with black pepper and salt. After that, schezwan masala and cooked rice are added. However, in Indian fried rice, vegetables/meat are stirred fried, and then partially cooked rice is added.
Worst: General Tso's Chicken
Named after a Chinese war hero, this fat-laden dish won't help you win any weight loss battles. The breaded, fried chicken is smothered in a sugary sauce.
Rice contained a lower sugar content which means that the after eating the fried rice the blood sugar will not spike as quickly as the noodles (fatsecret). Based on these findings, I would say the noodles and rice have their own minor advantages and disadvantages, but neither is an outright healthier choice.
It is a popular dish in many Asian cuisines and is often served as a side dish or main course. The frying process and additional ingredients used in fried rice contribute to its higher calorie, fat, and sodium content than boiled rice.
A blazing hot wok (a wok is ideal but a large pan, skillet, or Dutch oven will do) and an adequate amount of oil will ensure your ingredients don't stick to the surface. That's how restaurants achieve the smoky, “burnt” flavor in their stir-fried dishes.
Turmeric is the special ingredient that makes the fried rice yellow, and because of its incredible health benefits, the addition of this spice makes this recipe a good-for-you treat. A great way to use up leftover rice—rice that is several days old is perfect for this simple but extremely tasty recipe.
Add Sugar (Trust Us)
Takeout fried rice always has a hint of sweetness. You may not have noticed, but next time you open your takeout container, keep it in mind. A sprinkling of sugar adds depth in flavor and a slight color via caramelization. This is the game-changing touch you can use to impress your friends.