Hot and Spicy Rice

This recipe is great for using up leftover meat and vegetables. Make it as spicy as you dare. If you are refrigerating rice stir a drop of olive oil through the grains before chilling. This is a culinary tip rather than a safety tip. If it is stuck together in big lump when you come to use it, crumble it with your fingers or put into a large sieve and run under a running tap.

By Womens Institute

All recipes by Womens Institute

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 cloves garlic, crushed
A small knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
200g leftover cooked meat such as ham, pork, chicken and lamb, cut into small pieces

150g leftover Rice
Rice

Great as an accompaniment or for making risotto and pilaff.
- White long grain rice is good for salads, and its absorbent qualities go well with sauces and casseroles.
- Risotto rice has an incredible capacity to absorb a great amount of cooking liquid and still retain bite, just like paella rice.
- When cooked, basmati rice gives a light, fluffy, separate grains perfect to accompany curries or biriyani and pilaff dishes.
- Rice can replace breadcrumbs in stuffing’s and a few grains can be added to soups to thicken the broth.
- You have to be careful when reheating rice as there is a nasty little bacteria called bacillus cereus which may be present in cereals, particularly rice, and it is resistant to heat.
- It’s important always to cook rice for a hot dish just as you need it and serve it piping hot. If the rice is for a cold dish, once it’s cooked, cool it as quickly as possible and chill within two hours. To do this, drain the rice in a colander, rinse with cold water then tip into a large shallow container. Once it is cold, cover and keep refrigerated for no longer than a day.
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.
Ground Black peppercorns
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
½ teaspoon ground Turmeric

Turmeric

Add earthy flavour to curries

Add bright yellow colour to rice
½ teaspoon Dried chilli flakes

Dried chilli flakes

Great for adding instant ‘hotness’ to sauces.

Or for adding spice to curries.
Salt

Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the garlic and ginger in a wok or large frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Add some mustard seeds and when they start to pop add the turmeric, chilli and rice.
Cook for 2 minutes or until the rice is thoroughly hot, then stir in any leftover meat such as ham, chicken, pork or lamb and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes or until piping hot.

Note: Rice safety

It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating. Never leave cooked rice to cool on its own - always chill it quickly for example under running cold water. If cooked rice had been chilled or frozen ensure that it is thoroughly reheated and is piping hot throughout. Never keep rice chilled for longer than 1 day or frozen for longer than 1 month. Once cooked rice has been re-heated, throw away any leftovers. Never re-heat rice more than once.

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