Schezwan Vegetable Fried Rice

Schezwan Fried Rice is a famous recipe from the Indo Chinese Cuisine. It seems to have originated from the Sichuan province of China. It is made with sichuan pepper. But we substitute it with red chillies in India. I suggest you make schezwan sauce at home because it is the best. It is better to avoid the preservatives and taste enhancers like ajinamoto in store bought sauces. This is an easy sauce to make with easily available ingredients. 

SCHEZWAN VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmati Rice - 500 g
Dried Kashmiri Chilly (whole) - 25 g (15 nos)
Garlic cloves - 15 g  (12 nos) + 45 g (1/4 cup finely chopped)
Chopped Ginger -1/4 cup loosely packed
Tomato Puree - 75 g ( 1 1/2 medium tomato)
Water - 2 cups + to cook rice
Onion - 200 g (2 1/2 medium size finely chopped )
Vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp for sauce + 1/2 tsp for vegetables + as required for rice
Oil - 3 tbsp for schezwan sauce + 2 tbsp for rice
Carrot - 140 g ( 1 cup finely chopped )
Beans - 90 g ( 1 cup finely chopped )
Cabbage - 1 cup ( finely chopped )
Soya Sauce - 1 1/2 tsp
Spring Onion - 35 g ( 1/2 cup )

METHOD
To make Schezwan Sauce:
In a small pan pour 2 cups water, add in the dry Kashmiri chillies (after removing stalk), 15 g garlic and boil for 10 minutes on medium high flame.
Strain out the water into a bowl and grind the chilly mix with 2 tbsp of water into a fine paste.
Transfer the paste into a bowl and keep aside.
Finely chop onion, ginger , garlic and onion.
Grind the tomato in a blender. Pulse it 3 times.
Take oil in a pan and place it on high flame. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Keep stirring. Saute until the raw smell disappears. Do not over fry them.
Add onion, tomato puree, salt and sugar and saute it.
Add the chilly paste with a little water(from the bowl) and cook it for few minutes till it thickens. Check salt.
Finally add soya sauce, vinegar and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and keep aside to cool.

To prepare Schezwan Fried Rice:
Wash and soak rice for 1/2 hour. Strain and keep aside.
To prepare rice bring a pan of salted water to boil. Add in the rice and let cook.
When rice is almost cooked ( it should be slightly grainy) transfer it into a strainer, pour in cold water to cool and set aside. When cool fluff it up with a fork.
Finely chop cabbage, carrot and beans.
Take 2 tbsp oil in pan.
Saute carrot and beans until its still crunchy.
Add cabbage and little salt. Saute.
Now add the schezwan sauce and mix well.
Tip in the rice and toss well until its nicely mixed and the rice coated well with the schezwan sauce.
Finally add spring onions.
Serve with gopi manchurian or any Indo Chinese gravy.

Cooking Tips:

Schezwan sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.
Adjust the level of water required. Add little water at at a time to cook till the right thick consistency is reached.
Kashmiri Red Chillies are less spicy but has a good rich red colour.
Do not over cook the rice else it will become sticky.