Fried Rice

Ingredients 

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce 
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 lemon (1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon, plus cut into wedges)
1/3 cup peanut oil, or vegetable oil 
2 cups ham, cooked and cubed (optional) 
1 serrano chili pepper
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated 
1 clove garlic, minced 
3 whole scallion, finely chopped  
1 red pepper, chopped 
1 yellow pepper, chopped 
1 green pepper, chopped  
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
4 cups long-grain cooked rice, or jasmine rice (day old rice preferably) 
Fresh cilantro leaves,  for garnish 

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside. 

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the chili, ginger, garlic and scallion and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peppers and carrots and cook stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. 

Remove the vegetables from the wok and add the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Return the vegetables and ham to the pan and stir, incorporating the eggs, then add the rice. Stop stirring and cook the rice until well heated, about 2 minutes. Stir all the ingredients together and taste- add more sauce if necessary. 

Serve on a large serving platter with freshly chopped cilantro and lemon wedges. 


Notes

No need to fret if you don't have a wok, a large nonstick skillet would do the trick. 

You could totally make this dish vegetarian-friendly by opting out on the ham and replacing it with baby portobello mushrooms. Either way, you're getting enough protein from the eggs! 

Because fried rice typically uses day-old cooked rice, there is a trick to saving time without compromising flavor. If you cook rice the same day, I recommend using slightly less water than usual to produce a dryer rice. Once the rice is cooked, transfer to a large bowl and place it in the refrigerator uncovered for at least an hour. This will help maintain the fluffy texture of a perfectly cooked fried rice.