Fried Rice
Growing up, the kitchen was Mom’s kingdom—and let’s just say, she ruled with a spatula in one hand and a sideways glance that said, “Don’t even think about touching that!” So naturally, I never learned how to cook. Why would I? I had a queen feeding me three meals a day.
Fast forward to 2005. I’m standing in my tiny Connecticut kitchen, determined to finally feed myself something other than cereal. Fried rice seemed easy enough, right? I mean, how hard could it be? Rice. Veggies. Stir it up. Done.
Wrong.
I won’t lie, it tasted okay… but the texture? Awful. Like, “why is this gummy rice glueing itself to my soul” kind of awful. Somewhere between frustration and homesickness, I ended up sobbing on the phone with Mom, telling her I couldn’t even make a simple warm meal without screwing it up.
That’s when she did what moms do best. She laughed a little, comforted a lot, and then—like the kitchen queen she is—handed down the real secrets of fried rice. This post isn’t about the exact recipe (though I’ll share a basic one you can riff on), it’s about those mom-level kitchen tips that took my sad stir-fry to something pretty legit.
Tip #1: Cold rice is gold.
Mom casually mentioned, “I always cooked the rice the day before.” Turns out, there’s science in her magic. Chilling the rice dries out the grains—so when you toss them into a hot pan, they crisp up beautifully instead of turning to mush. No cold rice on hand? No problem. Just spread freshly cooked rice on a baking sheet and pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to de-moisturize.
Tip #2: High heat, honey.
As a kid, I loved being her little helper. I’d hover, ingredients in hand, begging “Aikhon Di?” (“Can I add now?”) over and over. She’d roll her eyes and say for the fifth time, “Daada, gorom hoi ni!” (“Wait! It’s not hot yet!”). Lesson? Patience and high heat are essential. You want that sizzle—the kind that means your veggies fry fast, stay crisp, and never get soggy.
Tip #3: Hands off the spatula.
“Ghatish na!” (“Stop stirring!”) she’d yell, as I enthusiastically attacked the rice like it owed me money. Turns out, less is more. Stirring too much breaks the grains and releases starch, which means mushy, sad rice. Instead, spread it out in the pan and let it sit. Let those edges crisp up before you flip or toss.
So there you have it:
Cold rice. High heat. Minimal stirring.
The sacred trifecta of what Mom calls Jhojhore bhaat—fluffy, slightly crusty, perfect fried rice.
Time for Prep: 10 mins Time to Cook: 10 mins Yield: 4-5 Servings Level: Easy
Ingredients:
2 cups rice, cooked.
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp black pepper, ground
salt to taste
Process:
Heat oil in a wok, add the vegetables (except scallions) and sauté in high heat for 4-5 mins, just so that the rawness goes but they still retain the crunchiness.
Add cooked rice, salt, ground black pepper and butter, stir it in and cook for another minute or so.
Pour the soy sauce, around the edges of the wok and gently fold it in.
Remove from heat, garnish with chopped scallions and serve.
