Dish of Fried Rice Bengali
(click to enlarge)

Fried Rice Bengali


India, Bengal -   - Ghee Bhaat
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 side
**
30 min
Prep		 Unlike China, where fried rice is a snack from leftover rice, or a street food, in India it is a festival dish.

1
1-7/8
-------
1/2
1/2
1/2
2
-------
3
1
3
1
------
7
1
1-1/2
1
1
c
c
---
c
c
c

---

in


---

T
T
t
t
Rice (1)
Water
-- Vegies (2)
Carrots
Green Beans
Peas, Frozen
Chili green (3)
-- Whole Spices 
Cardamom grn
Cinnamon
Cloves
Bay Leaf
-----------
Cashews
Raisins
Ghee (4)
Salt
Peppercorns
Do-Ahead   -   (8+ hrs). Can be made a couple days ahead.
  1. Wash RICE well, and cook with the minimum amount of water needed. Modify the 1-7/8 cups if you know it isn't right for your rice. Grains should be separate, but cooked fully through. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to generate resistant starch.
Prep   -   (15 min)
  1. Cut CARROTS into 1/4 inch or smaller dice. Cut Green Beans to 1/2 inch or shorter lengths. Mix
  2. Thaw PEAS.
  3. Split CHILIS in half lengthwise.
  4. Mix all Whole Spices.
  5. Crush PEPPERCORNS fairly fine.
Run   -   (15 min)
  1. Fluff the Rice as best you can.
  2. In a wok or spacious sauté pan, heat 1-1/2 T Ghee over moderate heat. Stir in Spices mix for a few seconds, then stir in Cashews and Raisins. Fry stirring until Cashews are light golden.
  3. Stir in Carrot mix and fry stirring until cooked but still fairly crunchy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Gently stir in Rice, Chilis, Peas, Salt and Pepper. Toss it about over moderate heat until well heated and all lumps are broken up.
  5. Serve hot with a Curry or Dal.
NOTES:

  1. Rice:

      Use Long Grain Rice, preferably Basmati. I use Dunar Elonga, which is very fluffy and stays fluffy through refrigeration. Rice must be completely cold, preferably made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, which changes its starch composition for easier frying.

  2. Vegetables:

      Select 2 to 4 of your choice 1/2 cup each. Carrot is almost always selected.

  3. Chilis, Green:

      Hot green Indian chilis are still scarce even in Los Angeles, so we use Serranos. Split in half these provide little heat to the rice, but if you have doubts, core and seed them. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Ghee:

      Bengali Ghee Bhaat means Ghee Rice, so Ghee (clarified and dehydrated Butter) is essential for this dish (many Indians are Vegetarians, but not Vegans). Ghee can be purchased, or can be made by our recipe Ghee & Clarified Butter. Vegans can use "Vegetable Ghee" if they can find one that isn't Trans Fats. If using Oil, Avocado Oil will be as close as you can get.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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