"Have you had your rice today?" This common greeting illustrates the importance of rice in Chinese culture, particularly in the south (noodles are eaten more frequently in the north). Here are classic rice recipes that you'll want to learn how to make.
1. Basic Cooked Rice Recipe
Like hard boiling eggs, cooking rice is one of those tasks that appear to be easy, but can go wrong very quickly if you don’t follow the right steps. Here are simple instructions that will help you make rice that turns out light and fluffy every time.
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Basic Cooked Rice Recipe
Want to see how it's done? Here are basic step by step instructions for cooking rice, with photos.
Top Pick
Basic Cooked Rice Recipe
Want to see how it's done? Here are basic step by step instructions for cooking rice, with photos.
2. Basic Fried Rice
Rhonda Parkinson
The main tip to making fried rice is to use cold, previously cooked rice, preferably at least one day old. (Use your fingers or a spatula to break up the cold clumps of rice).
Basic fried rice makes a nice alternative to plain cooked rice as a side dish. For something fancier, you can add meat or seafood and vegetables to the rice. Here are several fried rice recipes that would make a great main dish:
Fried Rice With Canned Tuna
Shrimp Fried Rice
Fried Rice With Chinese Sausage
Basic fried rice makes a nice alternative to plain cooked rice as a side dish. For something fancier, you can add meat or seafood and vegetables to the rice. Here are several fried rice recipes that would make a great main dish:
Fried Rice With Canned Tuna
Shrimp Fried Rice
Fried Rice With Chinese Sausage
3. Chicken Fried Rice
Rhonda Parkinson
This is a great recipe when you're looking for a way to use up leftover cooked chicken.
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Chicken Fried Rice
Top Pick:
Chicken Fried Rice
4. Yangchow Fried Rice
Rhonda Parkinson
Sometimes called Special Fried Rice, this festive dish consists of pairing roast pork and shrimp with rice that has been lightly coated with beaten egg.
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Yangchow Fried Rice
Top Pick:
Yangchow Fried Rice
5. Sizzling Rice (Crispy Rice)
Given the importance of rice in Chinese culture, it's not surprising that even over-cooked rice is put to use! Sizzling rice (also called crispy rice or rice crusts) can be made ahead of time - store in a sealed container until needed.Sizzling rice is used in the restaurant specialty, Sizzling Rice Soup, where the rice sizzles and crackles when it comes into contact with the hot broth.
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Sizzling Rice
6. Congee
Congee (also called jook) is a type of rice porridge that is eaten for breakfast in southern China and throughout other parts of Asia. This is basic recipe for congee that you can garnish and add to as desired.Top Pick: Basic Congee
Here are several other congee recipes, including a turkey congee and a healthy congee made with astragalus root.
7. Hainanese Chicken Rice
This popular Singapore dish originally came from the island of Hainan, a sub-tropical island located off China's southern coast. Chicken is poached and then served with cucumbers and rice cooked in cooked chicken broth. The chicken and rice is served with chili sauce for dipping.Top Pick: Hainanese Chicken Rice
8. Chicken in Rice (Wat Gai Fan)
Rhonda Parkinson
Every cuisine has its one-pot comfort foods, and Cantonese cuisine is no exception. This recipe is so easy to make - chicken breasts are marinated and then steamed with rice and Chinese dried mushrooms. The simple combination of rice, chicken and mushrooms is easy to digest, making it a good choice for seniors and small children.
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Chicken in Rice
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Chicken in Rice
9. Steamed Scented Rice (Jasmine and Basmati)
While scented rice is a mainstay of Southeast Asian cuisine, many cooks, including Chinese chef Martin Yan, recommend using it in Chinese dishes for extra taste and aroma. Here are simple instructions explaining how to steam scented rice.Steamed Scented Rice
10. Vegetable Rice
Rhonda Parkinson
Stir-fried baby bok choy is combined with steaming rice and Chinese dried mushrooms in this healthy side dish.
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Vegetable Rice
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Vegetable Rice
11. One Dish Shanghai Vegetable Rice
Rhonda Parkinson
In this version of the popular eastern Chinese dish, Chinese sausages are added to the cooking rice.
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One Dish Shanghai Vegetable Rice
Top Pick:
One Dish Shanghai Vegetable Rice
