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Japanese-Style Fried Brown Rice

Japanese-Style Fried Brown Rice

Active time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Serves: 2
This outstanding fried rice is made with brown rice, green onions, pine nuts, chiles de árbol and sesame oil—what may seem like an odd combination of ingredients comes together to create an extremely memorable dish.

Chef's notes

Here is a bit more information on Chiles de Arbol. One of the great things about chiles de árbol is that they do not just add heat to a dish, they also add a nice flavor. The heat from chiles de árbol also seems to dissipate quite quickly. This recipe is inspired by the Japanese written cookbook, Saisai Gohan by Yumiko Kanou.

Steps

1

Gathering & Preparing Your Mise en Place

Gathering & Preparing Your Mise en Place

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice, cooled
  • 7 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 2 to 3 chiles de árbol*
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, raw
To start, prepare all of your mise en place, including the cooking of the rice. *Note: To prepare the chiles de árbol, first rehydrate the chilies in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain the chilies and slice into thin rounds. Depending on how hot you like your food, you may only want to use 2 chilies; however, this dish is nice with a bit of extra heat from the 3 chilies.
2

Cooking the Dish

Cooking the Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
To cook the dish, heat a wok over high heat. Once hot, add the sesame oil, followed by the pine nuts. Quickly toss the nuts in the oil for about 10 seconds—they should just start to take on a nice golden color. Then add the chiles de árbol, followed by the rice. Stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the rice has fully heated through. Lastly, add the green onions and soy sauce and cook for another minute or so. Taste for seasoning. Serve as a side, or as a simple, yet satisfying snack.

8 Comments

  • Geni P
    Geni P •
    Today is the first time I've tried to make fried rice since I started here in 2010. My attempts prior to joining Rouxbe were dismal failures at best. This was amazing! I opted to use Bragg's Amino's in place of the soy sauce, added 1/2 tsp. of crushed garlic and used 2 of the little peppers that I grew in my Aerogarden. I'm not quite sure what they're called, but they pack some serious heat. Fortunately I like my food spicy. My lips are still tingling, but in a good way. I didn't need to add any additional seasoning and it came out perfectly. Thanks for the instruction and the recipe!
    Reply
  • Geni P
    Geni P •
    I forgot to say that I also added Chef Chad Sarno's Wicked Spice & Seed mix on top. I couldn't resist. I put it on everything I can think of since I made it. I plan to try that other option I saw Dawn mention in another thread or maybe I'll come up with one of my own. For anyone who hasn't tried Chef Chad Sarno's Wicked Spice & Seed mix yet, what are you waiting for? Go make some now!
    Reply
  • Jean J
    Jean J •
    If chiles de arbol are not available what is a good substitution?
    Reply
  • Dawn T
    Dawn T •
    Chiles de arbol do have a rather distinct flavor to them; however here are a few substitutions that you could try http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html#chile%20de By the way, that is a great site for ingredients substitutions in general. Cheers! p.s. I removed your email address from your comment as it's not necessary to post and/or share it when you make a comment.
    Reply
  • Vicki B
    Vicki B •
    Where can I get these chiles? I live in Maple Ridge.
    Reply
  • Dawn T
    Dawn T •
    Many/most Mexican markets sell them. You can also order them online. There is also a place in Vancouver called South China Seas and they sell them. I believe you can also order them from their site. I have also purchased them at Whole Foods. Hope that helps.
    Reply
  • Emily S
    Emily S •
    What would be a good sub for pine nuts? My son is allergic. Perhaps cashew?
    Reply
  • Eric W
    Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Emily, feel free to use any nuts that are safe and appealing to your son! ~Eric
    Reply

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