Leftover Cooked Rice

[CarolPa]

I have a cup of white rice and about 2 cups of brown rice that I overcooked for another dish. What can I do with it? I would like to make some type of side dish, maybe with vegetables mixed in, similar to rice pilaf, but I know that rice pilaf starts with raw rice.

 

[Andy M.]

Chinese fried rice.

 

[Dawgluver]

No question, for me it would be pineapple or raisin fried rice. You can also freeze it for another time. Rice pudding.

When you say overcooked, do you mean cooked too much in quantity, or cooked to mush?

 

[GotGarlic]

Definitely fried rice. I love this site for easy Asian-inspired recipes: http://www.steamykitchen.com/148-vegetable-fried-rice.html

 

[Andy M.]

I made this recipe last night. It's a winner in our book.

Chinese Pork Fried Rice
​

2 Tb Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tb Light Soy Sauce
3 Tb Oyster Sauce
3 Tb Dry Sherry
2 Tb Peanut Oil
2 tsp Ginger, grated
2 tsp Garlic, grated
¼ C Carrots, shredded
¼ C Onion, sliced
[FONT=PC&#47749]½[/FONT] C Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
1 Ea Egg, scrambled
1 C Chinese Cabbage, shredded
1 Lg Chinese BBQ Boneless Spareribs, diced
3 C Day-Old Cooked Rice (1 C raw)
1 C Bean Sprouts
[FONT=PC&#47749]⅓ C Peas[/FONT]
[FONT=PC&#47749]½[/FONT] C Scallions, chopped

The day before preparing the recipe, cook the rice in 1[FONT=PC&#47749]½[/FONT] cups of boiling salted water for 18-20 minutes. Do not add oil to the water for the rice. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Fluff the rice and refrigerate until needed. If you cook the rice on the same day you make the fried rice, after cooking and resting the rice, fluff it and spread it onto a half sheet pan. Place the rice in the freezer for 30 minutes then store in the fridge until needed.

Combine the soy and oyster sauces and the sherry and set aside.

Heat a wok then add the oil and heat it as well.

Add the ginger and garlic and heat briefly until aromatic.

Add the carrots, onions and mushrooms and stir-fry.

Make a well in the middle of the wok by pushing the cooked veggies up the sides of the wok. Add the egg to the center of the wok stir until cooked.

Add the cabbage, pork strips, rice and the mixed sauce. Toss together until any rice clumps are broken up and the sauce evenly colors the rice.

Add the sprouts, peas and scallions and toss together to combine all the ingredients.

NOTE: If you sub a raw protein for the spareribs (chicken, pork, shrimp), marinate it in the sauce mixture, drain and reserve the sauce for the recipe, stir-fry the protein, then proceed with the recipe. Heat the marinade/sauce to boiling before using it in the recipe.

 

[CarolPa]

Chinese fried rice.

That is a great idea! I've eaten it out, but never made it myself. Looks easy enough, even for me! Thanks!

 

[Andy M.]

Once you chop, shred, slice and measure all the ingredients, it cooks up in just a few minutes.

 

[CharlieD]

Chinese fried rice.

No, not if it is overcooked, it will be yukky.

 

[Dawgluver]

This one was good:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/fried-rice-a-la-dawg-88982.html

If your rice is cooked to mush, it might be best used as rice pudding.

 

[CarolPa]

No question, for me it would be pineapple or raisin fried rice. You can also freeze it for another time. Rice pudding.

When you say overcooked, do you mean cooked too much in quantity, or cooked to mush?

No, I cooked too much, but I've been known to overcook it at times! LOL

 

[Dawgluver]

No, I cooked too much, but I've been known to overcook it at times! LOL

Whew! Then fried rice would be my vote!

 

[CharlieD]

Too much is never a problem in my house. Leave it overnight in the refrigerator. It will make even better fried rice next day.

 

[cave76]

The cook books that I have (written by Chinese cooks) say that for fried rice you ONLY use leftover rice! They're very explicit in that.

Another use is to make congee/jook/rice porridge using it. It's sorta the Chinese version of chicken soup for what ails you. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. It's delicious.

 

[Andy M.]

The cook books that I have (written by Chinese cooks) say that for fried rice you ONLY use leftover rice! They're very explicit in that...

If you can cook it the day before and refrigerate it, that's the way to go. If you can't plan that far ahead, cook it the same day, spread it out on a half sheet pan and stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. You'll get the same results.

 

[CarolPa]

I didn't know it should have been refrigerated. Mine had been cooked early this morning and the leftovers just sat at room temp. It turned out pretty good considering it was not planned and I didn't have all the ingredients I would have liked to put in it. I just made it with vegetables, no meat. I sent some over to my daughter who eats chinese often, and she just texted me that it is excellent and she wanted to know if I made it.

Why does it need to be refrigerated?

 

[Andy M.]

Rice is a major source of food borne illness if not properly stored. It should always be refrigerated, the same as other cooked foods.

 

[taxlady]

I didn't know it should have been refrigerated. Mine had been cooked early this morning and the leftovers just sat at room temp. It turned out pretty good considering it was not planned and I didn't have all the ingredients I would have liked to put in it. I just made it with vegetables, no meat. I sent some over to my daughter who eats chinese often, and she just texted me that it is excellent and she wanted to know if I made it.

Why does it need to be refrigerated?

I don't always refrigerate cooked rice. If you don't, it will start to grow mould after a couple of days, depending on how dry it is.

 

[CarolPa]

Rice is a major source of food borne illness if not properly stored. It should always be refrigerated, the same as other cooked foods.

Well then why not just cook the rice and make the fried rice right away? What's the purpose of making it the day before and refrigerating it. I guess that's what I meant.

 

[Andy M.]

When the rice is cooked then cooled it has a different texture from freshly cooked rice. Your end result will be much better if you do this.

 

[Dawgluver]

When the rice is cooked then cooled it has a different texture from freshly cooked rice. Your end result will be much better if you do this.

Yes. Refrigerating it kind of dries it out and separates the grains. Freshly cooked rice will give you fried rice mush.