For Filipinos, rice is a staple not just for meals, but also for delicacies such as rice cakes.
Our favorite ulam won’t be as good without a cup, or two, of soft, steaming fragrant rice. Have excess rice? Upcycle leftovers by making fried rice on the next day. Here are four fried rice recipes best made with day-old Royal Umbrella premium Thai Jasmine rice available in Thai Hom Mali Rice (Royal Umbrella Red), Thai Jasmine Rice (Royal Umbrella Green) and Fragrant Rice (Royal Umbrella Orange) varieties. Extra rice, please!
Golden Fried Rice with Prawns, Recipe by chef Forest Leong
- 4 c Royal Umbrella Thai Hom Mali Rice, cooked
- 4 egg yolk
- 80 g prawn meat, diced and poached
- 60 g green pea, poached
- Spring onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper powder
- ¼ c cooking oil
Mix cooked rice with egg yolk, salt, sugar and pepper. Heat up wok, add oil. Add mixed rice and fry till the rice looks grainy. Add poached prawn meat, green peas and seasoning. Top with spring onion or coriander leaves. Makes 4 servings.
Pineapple Fried Rice, Recipe by chef Forest Leong
- 4 c Royal Umbrella Thai Hom Mali Rice, cooked
- 80 g chicken breast, diced
- 1½ c canned pineapple, diced
- ¼ c shallot, sliced
- 15 g garlic, chopped
- 10 g coriander root
- 30 g butter
- 30 g curry powder
- 1 c chicken floss (optional)
- 60 ml cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper powder
Garnish:
- Coriander leaf
- 10 g red chili, sliced
- ½ c roasted pine nut
Season the cooked rice with salt and sugar. Pound the garlic, coriander root and pepper into a paste. Heat up oil in wok (medium heat), add the garlic paste. Add chicken meat and cook for a few minutes. Add curry powder, cooked rice, shallot and seasoning. Add pineapple, top with chicken floss, pine nut, red chili and coriander leaves. Makes 4 servings.
Seafood Fried Rice , Recipe by By JoanneVillablanca
- Royal Umbrella rice, cooked
- Butter
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Egg yolk
- Egg
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Crab meat
- Salt and pepper
Mix 1 egg yolk with cold rice. Scramble 1 egg and set aside. Stir-fry in butter the shrimp, squid, crab meat, garlic and green onions. Season, to taste. Add mixed rice. Top with scrambled egg. This is a more complicated recipe for those who like challenges and collect spices.
Laksa Prawn Fried Rice
- 500 g Royal Umbrella short-grain rice, cooked
- 3 Tbsp Golden Circle Sunflower Oil
- 4 Tbsp laksa paste (ready-made or make your own, see below)
- 200 g prawns
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 10 g coconut milk
- 20 g dried shrimp
- 10 g laksa leaves
- 30g shallots
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 500 g Golden Circle Sunflower Oil
Laksa paste:
- 500 g chili paste
- 50 g candlenuts
- 60g shrimp belacan (prawn paste)
- 80g yellow ginger
- 50g blue ginger (galangal)
- 50g lemongrass
- 150g shallots
- 100g garlic
- 100g dried shrimps
- 100g sugar
- 400g Golden Circle Cooking Oil
Grind spices individually and set aside. Heat the oil in wok (low heat) and fry the garlic and shallot till brown. Add the dried shrimp, candlenuts, yellow ginger, blue ginger, belacan, lemongrass and chili in the wok and constantly stir for 20 minutes. Add sugar. Set laksa paste aside.
Laksa Fried Rice:
Heat the oil in wok and fry shallot and dried shrimp for 1 minute. Add cooked Royal Umbrella rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add laksa paste and salt, then add coconut milk. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, set aside. In a separate pan, stir-fry prawns and garlic for 2 minutes. Plate the laksa rice, add prawns and boiled eggs. Garnish with laksa leaves.
Royal Umbrella premium rice is available in supermarkets and on LazMart; Facebook.com/RoyalUmbrellaPH