A staple
In many countries in Asia, rice is part of the staple diet. Wherever rice is found in abundance, you will find, with few exceptions, that Chillies are used in significant quantities in spicy rice recipes. The Chinese, Indians and Indonesians (amongst others) are all considered the world's biggest rice-eating nations. Without fail, you will find that the cuisine in these countries, including ( China, Indonesia, India, and Thailand), is, in the main, spicy - with chillies an essential ingredient.
This section will explore how chillies are used in rice recipes in many parts of the world.
For a recipe for Nasi Goreng, a spicy rice dish from Indonesia Click here
Perfect rice
Making the perfect spicy rice depends on the type of rice being made. For some recipes, you will want the rice to be freshly made and consumed shortly after it is made, where as certain recipes benefit from being a day old before being used. In fried rices, like Nasi goring and Chinese spicy fried rice, the latter applies. For other dishes like Nasi lemak (where coco-nut milk is used), part of the recipe actually involves cooking the rice in a liquid other than water.
- Was the uncooked rice under running water in a colander until it runs clear. This step will prevent the rice from sticking together when cooking). If you want sticky rice, this step should be eliminated.
- Bring the equivalent of two cups of after for every cup of rice that will be cooked to the boil.
- Drop the rice into the boiling water. Cover and cook according to its package instructions
- Pour the rice into a colander, reserving the cooking water.
- Bring the water to the boil again, then turn down too a simmer Place the colander over the simmering water ( make sure it is above the water level). Cover with tin foil and allow the rice to steam until it is done. Fluff up with a fork
- If not using immediately, allow the rice to cool and then place it in a sealed container in the refrigerator to allow it to dry out.
- Once made, according to your requirements.