I love rice and I love kimchi. Like, looooooove. Today I’m sharing this EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE recipe that’s become a weeknight staple ever since my two girls finally learned to enjoy kimchi! This is one of the quickest dinners you can pull together using fairly basic fridge and pantry staples. You can use homemade kimchi or store-bought kimchi. As easy as this recipe is, there is one thing I want you to pay attention to: perfect fried rice starts with perfectly prepared rice!
Most people already know the golden rule to use overnight rice. But there is more to it than that. In this blog post, I’m also sharing my 5 SIMPLE BUT CRUCIAL STEPS to prepare PERFECT RICE FOR FRIED RICE below. You can follow these tips not just for this EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE recipe but for any fried rice recipe you’re making. (Note that my tips are for white rice – both short grain and long grain – which is what I personally use for fried rice, not brown rice or others.)
Thanks to USA Rice for sponsoring this post and inspiring me to share this EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE recipe and share with you my 5 steps for preparing the perfect rice for it. US-grown rice is as local as it gets for us Canadians. And I simply cannot live without rice! It is so versatile, affordable, naturally gluten-free and contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and iron. I also like that I can batch-make rice and store it in a tightly-covered container for 3-5 days in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer. It reheats just fine with a little water sprinkled over it (~2 tbsp per cup of cooked rice) on the stovetop or in the oven for 5 minutes, or my preferred method, microwaved on high for 2 minutes per cup of cooked rice. Fluff with a fork and it’s ready to go! This makes it particularly convenient for using in recipes like stuffed peppers or squash, inside cabbage rolls, tossed into soups or to whip up a batch of rice pudding when the craving strikes. And of course, for fried rice which requires overnight rice!
As promised, here are all my tips for preparing perfect white rice for fried rice.
MY 5 STEPS FOR PREPARING PERFECT (WHITE) RICE FOR FRIED RICE:
1. RINSE EXCESS STARCH: Use a measuring cup to measure the rice. Add it right into a large fine-mesh colander (make sure the holes are fine) and rinse it under cold running water while moving it around with your fingers to wash off excess starch. Do this for 30 seconds or until the water is visibly clearer, but it does not need to be completely clear.
2. PRECISE WATER-TO-RICE RATIO: The amount of water used for cooking the rice is as important as using overnight rice so you need to be quite precise about it! Growing up, I was responsible for making rice every night for dinner. Back then, I used the old school “finger joint” method to measure the amount of water i.e. place index finger tip at surface of rice and put water up to the first joint / knuckle. Somehow it seemed to work out fine no matter the actual amount of rice. Since then, I’ve refined my expectation of perfect rice and refined my method as well. HOW I DO IT NOW After rinsing the rice, I allow it to drain in the colander at least 5 minutes to rid excess water – giving the colander a shake or two partway. Pour the drained rice into the cooking vessel. Again, use a liquid measuring cup with ml marks to measure your water. The ratio depends on your method of cooking and whether you are using short-grain versus long-grain rice, as follows:
a. Instant Pot: use 1:1 water-to-rice for both long and short grain white rice (see #3 re soaking). Cook on high pressure 4 minutes with natural release (assume a further 16-20 minutes to fully depressurize, depending on amount). Pull the insert out of the pot, fluff the rice well and fully cool before refrigerating.
b. Stove Top (use pot with tight-fitting lid): use 1:1 water-to-rice ratio for long grain white rice and 1:1.2 water-to-rice ratio for short grain white rice (see #3 re soaking). To cook, bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn down to the lowest setting to gently simmer and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes or until water is fully absorbed (lift lid and peek quickly). Remove from heat, keeping the lid on to steam 10 minutes more. Fluff the rice well and fully cool before refrigerating.
c. Electric Rice Cooker: use 1:1 water-to-rice ratio for long grain white rice and 1:1.2 water-to-rice ratio for short grain white rice (see #3 re soaking). Follow manufacturer instruction for cooking the rice type. When complete, pull the insert out of the rice cooker, fluff the rice well and fully cool before refrigerating.
3. SOAK RICE BEFORE COOKING: For best results, don’t start cooking right away. Instead, keep the rice soaking in the measured amount of water for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking helps the grains absorb water more evenly in the centre. This is especially important if you are using short grain rice which are fatter.
4. OVERNIGHT RICE: The golden rule I mentioned already is the rice must be cooked in advance and allowed to chill and dry out in the refrigerated overnight or up to several days. I hate to sound inflexible but there really is no way around this. Don’t try to cheat this one. Even a few hours are not enough. You’ll still end up with soggy fried rice and I don’t want that for you. I speak from experience.
5. BREAK UP CLUMPS OF RICE WITH YOUR HANDS: Even if you did steps 1-4 above, there will still be lumps of rice stuck together. You must break up the clumps of rice before cooking or better yet, do this hours ahead (i.e. in the morning if you’re making it for dinner) which allows the newly broken-up clumps of rice to dry out. The most effective way to do this is with your hand(s)! Grab handfuls and gently break rice clumps apart. You will end up with sticky rice bits all over your hands but a quick rinse under running water will take of that. The better job you do here, the better your fried rice will be!
Those are my 5 STEPS FOR PREPARING PERFECT (WHITE) RICE FOR FRIED RICE. I hope you found them useful. Now you’re all set to make my EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE – recipe follows. Don’t forget to scroll all the way through the rest of this post, after the recipe, for my round-up of FOUR other delicious ways to enjoy rice. They’re so good and not to be missed.
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EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE
Serves 4-6. Gluten-free.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp avocado oil or other high-heat neutral oil
1 C kimchi, juice gently squeezed out (and reserved) and chopped small
½ C kimchi juice (squeezed from above plus more from the container as needed)
6 C cooked U.S.-grown rice, refrigerated overnight (see above for my 5 STEPS for preparing perfect rice)
1 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
Kosher salt to taste
Toasted sesame oil
4 fried eggs
For garnish:
1 scallion, finely chopped
1-2 sheets of nori, “shredded” aka cut into very thin 1” long strips with scissors
Sesame seeds
METHOD
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Once heated through, add oil and immediately add chopped kimchi. Sauté for a minute or two. Add chilled cooked rice (breaking it up with your spatula and/or hands so there are no lumps). Stir fry the rice until heated through. Add kimchi juice and tamari / soy sauce. Stir well. Taste and season with kosher salt. Remove from heat. Drizzle some toasted sesame oil. Divide between serving bowls. Top each with a fried egg and garnish with sprinkles of each chopped scallions, shredded nori and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
THINK RICE: 5 WAYS, 5 DAYS!
As promised, in addition to my EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE recipe above, below is my recipe round-up of FOUR other ways we enjoy rice on a regular basis. I hope these meal ideas inspire you to enjoy rice more, and more often!
1. Chinese Hainan Chicken Rice (Weeknight-ified!)
This is my simplified version of a traditional dish that happens to be a huge family favourite. It features tender poached chicken and tasty rice flavoured with the poaching liquid, garlic and ginger. The scallion dipping sauce is a must! Recipe on the blog here.
2. Tuna + Kimchi Onigirazu (sushi sandwich)
I can not even express how much my family loves these sushi sandwiches! Short grain rice is cooked and seasoned just like sushi rice, using a traditional mixture of mirin, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. They are filled with canned tuna mixed with vegenaise (or mayonnaise) and loaded up with fresh veggies like matchstick carrots and cucumbers, shredded purple cabbage and leafy lettuce. We always add some kimchi and toasted sesame seeds too. Recipe on the blog here.
3. Horchatta Latte
Horchatta is a refreshing Mexican drink made with almonds, rice and cinnamon. It’s so divine and one of the few drinks I will go to the effort of making at home because the homemade version is so superior compared to the ones I’ve had at restaurants. I add one (or two) shots of espresso to make a latte! Recipe on the blog here.
4. Congee (“Jook”)
AKA the ultimate Chinese comfort food. The most basic version is created simply with rice boiled in water. But I love using homemade chicken bone broth to make it nutritious and nourishing. To make: Sauté some minced garlic and minced ginger with the raw rice grains for 10 seconds, then add broth or water – I like the somewhat thinner consistency from a 1:10 rice-to-liquid ratio. i.e. for one family meal with a bit of leftover for breakfast the next day, I make 1 cup of rice plus 10 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer very low for 30 minutes, stirring often especially near the beginning to prevent rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Voilà, a warm and soothing hug in food form. Garnish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and fresh scallions. Even better if served alongside Chinese dough fritters, which you can buy frozen in a Chinese grocery store or buy a few as a side order from a Chinese restaurant and keep it frozen and reheat in the oven anytime when you want them! I’m linking my recipe for homemade bone broth is here.
There you have it! Let me know if you make my recipe for EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE or any of these other recipes featuring rice, my most favourite grain. Either leave a comment below or if you post it on Instagram, tag me @saltnpepperhere because I love to see your recreations!
This post is sponsored by USA Rice. I partner with brands and organizations I love and as always, my opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to bring new content to this site and share my discoveries with you! Visit https://riceinfo.com for lots more information and inspirations. You can also find them on Instagram @usaricecan, Facebook @USARiceCanada, Twitter @USARiceCAN or Pinterest @USARiceCan.
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