Making restaurant-style fried rice at home often comes down to one simple factor: technique. Chef Kunal Kapur shared easy tips for making the perfect fried rice in his September 3 Instagram post.
“What makes fried rice really good? It’s not just the quality of your ingredients - it’s what you do with them. The right rice, the right heat, the right timing, and a few techniques can take your fried rice from ordinary to wok-worthy. Because when every grain is perfectly coated, smoky and separate, you know you’ve got it right,” Chef Kunal wrote in the caption. (Also read: Chef Kunal Kapur shares a simple 2-minute sandwich maker hack to make crispy, golden besan cheela at home. Watch )
Let’s take a look at his tips:
It all comes down to moisture
{{/usCountry}}Let’s take a look at his tips:
It all comes down to moisture
{{/usCountry}}“Fresh rice is too moist, so it can turn sticky in the pan. Fried rice needs grains that know how to keep their distance,” Chef Kunal says. That is where yesterday’s rice comes in. When cooked rice is refrigerated overnight, it firms up and loses some of its moisture, helping the individual grains stay separate when they hit the hot pan.
“Think of it like drying a wet towel before folding it, the less moisture, the better the separation,” he explains. “After a night in the fridge, the rice firms up and dries out, so each grain hits the hot pan ready to fry, not stick.”
Chef Kunal’s tip for better fried rice
There is one more step to keep in mind before adding refrigerated rice to the pan. “Don’t throw cold rice straight into the pan. Break up the refrigerated rice before it hits the wok,” Chef Kunal says.
Cold rice can form tight clumps, which take longer to separate and may release steam in the pan. Breaking up the grains beforehand helps them fry more evenly instead.
Simple rule for better fried rice
According to Chef Kunal, the easiest method is to plan your rice a day ahead: “Cook your rice today. Chill it overnight. Fry it tomorrow.” The result? Rice that is lighter, fluffier and nicely separated, just what you want for a good plate of fried rice.
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