I have written about Mummy’s Fried Rice before (HERE), but it was such a delight to be in the same kitchen with her, while she cooked this again. This was one of the best foods of my childhood. Mummy’s Fried Rice is just the best. It was worth all the chopping and cutting and cleaning. The pot of Fried Rice hardly lasted till the next day. It was devoured with such speed, it induced food greed.
I will like to add though, this is home cooked Fried rice. If you are going to do this for a party, start very early because the process is quite tedious and meticulous but the results are so so worth it. Even mummy advised that this is for home cooking. Probably the only reason why I don’t eat Fried Rice at parties. I always compare to my Mum’s and it always comes up short. First, the vegetables are bright, colourful and crunchy, a major bonus for Fried Rice. If i taste Fried Rice and the vegetables are as soft as baby food, I drop the spoon and move on to something else. My Mama does it well, even the Chinese would learn a thing or two. Here goes.
You will need
Carrots
Spring Onions – scallions if you live in North America
1 large Green Bell Pepper
1 large Ata Rodo – scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
Prawns
Liver
Curry
Thyme
White Pepper
Runner Beans
Knorr Chicken Cubes
Salt
Long Grain Rice
Chicken Stock
Boiled Chicken
Sunflower Oil – use any oil you cook with. I just happen to have Sunflower Oil at home
How To
1. At first, you are going to chop, chop, chop, and chop. Fried Rice is not for the cooking faint hearted, and do NOT use processed Mixed Veg. Honestly, don’t. This Fried Rice is fresh and alive. Packaged mixed veg is just dead and depressing. Lol. Chop the runner beans and set aside in a separate bowl. You will soon know why.
Mummy prepping for Fried Rice
2. Boil the liver with plain water at first, to let the blood boil out and congeal. Let this boil for a few minutes, till you see the water get very dark brown. Throw away the water, add fresh water then season with salt, chopped onions and seasoning cubes. This is Mummy’s Cooking Tip. Once the liver has cooked, chop into cubes.
3. Season and boil your chicken. Remember with chicken, you don’t drown it in water when you boil. You start with a little water at first, which will increase in volume after the heat leaches out more fluid from the chicken, then you add more water and re-season. When it is cooked, you can grill or fry. Retain the stock. Before you do that, take at least 3 pieces of boiled chicken, shred or chop and add to the bowl of chopped veggies.
4. Once you have chopped all the ingredients, add them all into one bowl including the prawns (leave the runner beans separate). I have to stop here for a bit and say Well done for your hard work. Lol.
first phase of chopping
Okay now season with curry, thyme, white pepper, knorr cubes and a little salt. Mix thoroughly, pick out a few of the veggies to taste. Just to be sure you have it well seasoned.
phase 2 of chopping – seasoning sprinkled on top
Mummy’s Cooking Tip: Place the bowl in the freezer. I complained at this stage because I was hungry, and she said no, no. For the spices and seasoning to really permeate the vegetables, you have to leave it in the freezer till it gets very cold. Use the time to tidy up the kitchen or watch TV while you wait for your veggies, liver, prawn and chicken mixture to get extra delicious. Trust me, you are going to start eating the veggies raw once you taste the difference cold air makes.
straight from the freezer – you know when they say don’t argue with mummy, honestly don’t. Lol. The difference between the veggies pre freezing and post freezing was very very noticeable. WHAT!!!! I gave her a hug.
3. Boil the rice with the volume of water that will cook it only halfway. Do NOT salt it because you are going to finish off with Chicken stock. When it has cooked halfway, pour in the chicken stock that will cook it further – three quarter way.
4. When it is almost 3 quarter cooked, pour in the runner beans in and reduce the heat. The steam of rice will cook the runner beans. Make sure that there is NO water in the rice otherwise and it does not burn. If there is water, it will be soggy. Use kitchen knife to touch the base of the pot, to ensure that it does not burn and there is no water at the bottom of the pot, otherwise the rice will turn soggy.
5. When it is cooked, the runner beans will turn greenish brown, and the colour of the rice will have a slight green hue.
see how fluffy the end result is? It is not soggy and the grains are individual
The green colour of Mummy’s Fried rice starts from the cooked rice phase, and then ends with curry. Her Fried Rice does not have the yuckish green colour that I have seen so many times, especially Party Fried Rice. Ugh!!!!
6. Heat up Olive Oil, when it gets very hot flash fry the vegetables, till you can see that the vegetables have cooked. A good indicator is the prawns have started turning brown, the orange nature of the carrot will no longer be sharp, the other vegetables would have shrunk a little.
7. Then you use a spoon to transfer the fried ingredients and some oil in bits, into another empty pot, followed by the boiled rice, which you also add in bits, until you have emptied the pan of fried veggies and boiled rice. The quantity of oil you will use is dependent on how soft the rice and the runner beans are, so it does not get soggy. Mind the quantity of oil that you add to the rice, because you are going to fry the chopped ingredients and the rice on low heat. If the oil is too much, it will soak through the rice. You may or may not use all the oil that you fried the chopped ingredients.
After combining the mixture for some time with a wooden spoon (MUST – so it doesn’t burn), you sprinkle in extra curry powder to give the rice a further greenish hue. Taste for salt and cover to simmer. Turn the heat to the lowest. The end result is rice that is not completely soft, though not hard for consumption, and the vegetables and all the chopped ingredients will be crunchy, in a good way and not baby food soft.
…………and here is your result
feast on your Fried rice – on behalf of my Mum permit me to brag. This is the best Fried Rice you have ever eaten. Lol
Normally, I would have plated this Rice all fancy fancy, but in the words of my 2nd language “mi o raiye iyen”. Lol. English for, I don’t have time for that. The food speaks for itself.
The one and only Iya Ola – Big Oladunni in the kitchen. I don’t just call her Big Oladunni, true story I was named after her.
I can see where u got ur beauty from. Thanks mummy for giving us dooney
Aaaaaw, thanks Lizzy
Dooney you are a super cook, how I wish you can come to Nairobi…..Lol
Aaaaw, hugs Abiola. Thanks
Dunni…thumbs up to u…I tried following your fried rice recipe and it was d best i have ever made…I keep calling ‘Dunni…Dunni’ in my kitchen.. I would try the coconut rice recipe too. thank u. plenty hugs..
Aaaaaaw, hugs Leekeem. Well done.
hey, You are a blessing. Your page is permanently open on my computer, when on or off the net. lol. Pls which curry seasoning is preferable for fried rice? not all curry seasonings are nice and give you the colour or taste that is desired. Will like your input on this. Thanks and God bless.
You are welcome Augustina. I use the Lion brand. Tried and tested
Hi, Dooney, tried the recipe today and though delicious it was a bit too soft and soggy. I think it had to do with too much stock water. Learned from that error will reduce the amount next time.
Aaaaaaaw, hugs. You will do better next time
Thanks Dooney!!!! Big hug!!
Tried the recipe yesterday and it turned out excellent & yummy!! This was actually my first attempt to make fried rice!
My hubby ate plenty and kept adding extra helpings to his plate; asking if I was sure this was my first time cooking fried rice!
Thanks loads and God bless
Aaaaaaw, hugs Soph. Well done. Happy to help
just tried this and i love it… although its a bit soft but still good.
Hello Dunni, I tried your fried rice a few weeks ago and LOVED it! There’s no other way I’ll be making fried rice again. Thank you and mummy!
I used beef stock (diluted it enough) coz i couldnt wait till i got chicken (I was way too eager and excited!). Next time I’ll be sure to use chicken stock though this also turned our GREAT, just to compare the tastes I guess.
I really love your blog. I’m constantly going through it searching for my next meal to try. Thank you!
You are very welcome. My mother’s head hasn’t stopped swelling since i posted this.
Hi Dunni. God bless you and mom. Wow! for once made fried rice without the processed ingredients and it was awesome. And you know what, the next day, the household moved their bowels with awesome ease. Thanks
Wow Dunni, God bless you and Grandma Oladunni! I had a 3rd helping!!! Everyone in the house testified that my Fried rice tasted nice including Hubby who came to give me a thumbs up!!! You really deserve a ‘food grammy award’. You make fulfilling the kitchen part of the marriage vow very exciting!
Stumbled on ur blog few weeks ago and av been an ardent silent follower since then. Nice job dooney… God bless. Btw, ur fried rice recipe is Awesome!!! Made some today and hubby couldn’t get enough
Hi dun dun
Let me start by saying,I never scrolled down to the last page,was always wondering what this chief chef looked like.lol,so tonight I scrolled down and saw ur pix and am like omg so someone this pretty can cook,lol.I followed the ayamase recipe,and my fiance asks to eat it now often,I just roll my eyes,den I made fried rice for him but instead of using oil,I used butter,tasted it and gave myself a 100% and a pat,let’s just say I got the phone my fiance has been promising for a while,lol.Now am gonna make chicken stew from ur mum s recipe,but I will use turkey and beef instead,not really a fan of chicken and am also gonna make jollof rice,stay tuned for a fit back.
God bless you and yours plenty.
Am trying this tomorrow evening, Thanks Dunni for always always inspiring us….God bless
Hi Dooney,
I’m in awe of you, you are genius! I’ve been a silent admirer and like everyone here, i’ve tried some of your recipes and they have been amazing! I can’t thank you enough. I just wanted to give you a tiny humble hint, it worked so well for me with your fried rice recipe, and i’ve been using it since. For amazing, gorgeous colour, use tiny amount of turmeric. the colour is so intense and it doesn’t alter the flavour in any bad way. i also tried it with yam porridge (pottage?) when i didnt want to use palm oil, and for a different look, and it was surreal!
Ok so, that’s my tiny hint. Hope you try it, let me know ok?
Cheers!
I have turmeric at home ooooo. Game on. i will try it
Pls, does your mom own a school? Is she Mrs Okupe?
lol. yes. but that’s her maiden name
Hi I was introduced to dooneykitchen some few month back by a friend who was trying to show me what a spiralising machine looks like and since then have been glued to this space. D first day wen I got home and I was with my phone in the kitchen, hubby was asking why I took my phone to the kitchen I told him I was using it,he was shocked☺️after the food was ready and served he was like this food tastes really nice I responded that’s d result of my phone I took to the kitchenhe said pls always take ur phone to the kitchen if this will be the end resultthat was d party Jollof rice and since then,Have tried several other dishes which is loved by my entire household. I can bet that Big oladunni recipe for fried rice is the best have ever had when I cooked the ewedu special it felt like we’ve Neva had ewedu before, hubby loved it and wanted some more.God bless u darling and bless the works of ur hand. Ur blog is my new gift for all newlywed. Ve a blessed week ahead tribe.
Dooney you are the best.Hubby doesn’t like fried rice but I followed your recipe this evening during preparation for Iftar and he couldn’t resist the meal.He said he wish they could follow this recipe for party fried rice.Thanks a bunch
Wow, thank you dunni you have brought out the chef in me. I made this yesterday and i was proud of myself. i even got a weldone kiss from le hubs. The part of leaving the vegetables in the freezer was the best. Wow thanks a lot.
I hardly make comments on blogs but I just have to say thank you for this lovely recipe. I usually make fried rice but this time I decided to keep my painfully cut up ingredients in the freezer as you described and the taste was wonderful. Took the leftover to work this morning. Thanks once again. Ofe Onugbu is next.
Hello Dunni, I am Oladunni too. I being cooking using your recipes for 2months now and the results have been fantastic! I made Party Jollof-your way and it came out great! Thank you so much. God bless you.
Hi Dooney, thank you for this very detailed recipe. I followed it to the letter and the fried rice came out really good. Quick question would it be correct for me to assume that I should slightly over season the veg before putting it in the freezer? The reason I ask is because when I fried and added it to the rice I noticed that the rice did not seem to have enough seasoning. What would you suggest to do at this stage of cooking?
Thank you xxx
Hmmmn, that advice can go either way. i suggest you re-season immediately after adding the veg, to be on the safe side