Mom's Fried Rice

This is a recipe that I wanted to post for a long time. Now in my family we have a tradition. Every Sunday we have a large family lunch compliments of my mom. And one of the highlights is her famous Fried Rice which absolutely tastes divine. Now fried rice is a local dish in Trinidad and Tobago. There are so many variations of it and the dish is influenced by the Chinese culture in Trinidad and Tobago. Many people in Trinidad know how to make this dish which is usually made on special occasions. In my family we make it every Sunday. My mom has her own twist to this rice dish that it is so unique and different from the usual fried rice recipes.

First of all one of the secrets that makes the taste of this fried rice unique is the use of extra virgin olive oil to cook this dish. Extra Virgin Olive oil has a wonderful flavour that blends with vegetables and any kind of dish.My mom also use a combination of herbs and vegetables which is really unique in her recipe. In my family we love to eat lots of fruits and vegetables so we enjoy adding lots of veggies to our fried rice.

The procedure that my Mom use is really quick. Instead of chopping all the ingredients below. She chops sweet peppers, carrots, pimentos, onion, garlic, parsley and chive in a food processor together. Saute all these ingredients with the olive oil in a large pot until tender, about 3 minutes. The next steps must be done quickly to avoid overcooking the rice. Add the rice, Mix well. Add sesame oil, then add soya sauce and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix until an even colour is achieved (You can continue to mix with the fire turn off). Do not overcook the rice, it must be just done.

3 cups of cooked Uncle Ben's Brown rice

5 pimento peppers ( I love the taste of pimento so I would definitely add more)

2 carrots diced finely

3 medium sized sweet peppers diced finely

1 onion chopped finely (This is optional, one tip concerning onions; once you cook a recipe with onions such as rice or pasta make sure to place the extra in the fridge within 4 hrs after cooking to prevent spoilage of food).

1/4 cup of olive oil (you can use more or less if necessary)

1 tbsp of sesame seed oil ( really brings out the Chinese flavour in the fried rice)

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

1tbsp of chopped chive ( You can add more if you love the flavour of chive.)

3 cloves of garlic chopped

salt and pepper to taste ( We love to add fried rice seasoning to this dish but it is optional, you can use whatever flavourings you prefer.)

aprox. 2-3 tbsps or less of Chinese Soya sauce ( We use the dark soya sauce, and we don't really measure. After making the recipe for years we just automatically know the colour of the rice we desire.)

You can also added 1 tbsp of grated ginger, it gives a nice flavour to the rice but it is optional.
My mom rarely use it in her fried rice recipe. Some people also add egg to their fried rice.

Enjoy
Jannishal