How To Dry Rice For Fried Rice

Want to make perfect dry rice for Fried Rice?

Fried rice is one of those dishes that doesn’t require too many complex ingredients or difficult cooking steps.

It’s a quick and easy dish, and you can make it whenever you feel like having it.

But if you want to take it one notch higher, you need to have well-cooked rice.

In the following guide, I have shared a few tips related to this topic.

So, let’s see how you can prepare the rice for Fried Rice.

How To Dry Rice For Fried Rice

Here are the necessary steps that are involved in this process –

1. Spread The Cooked Rice Evenly On A Plate

First and foremost, you need to strain the rice well from the pot.

There shouldn’t be a lot of water content in it.

The excess water will make the rice lose its texture and may break down while preparing the Fried Rice.

To avoid this issue, you should remove the rice in a strainer.

Furthermore, you will have to spread the rice gently on a plate or tray.

This is an important step in this process because it allows the steam to be released from the rice grains.

If you let the rice sit in a bowl or pot, it will take much longer time to cool down.

Also, it will increase the odds of turning the rice sticky in the end.

Once the rice turns sticky, there is very little you can do about it.

So, it’s absolutely necessary to follow this step whenever you want to dry the rice for Fried Rice or any other purpose.

2. Keep It Under The Fan

Moving on, this is the next thing you should do if you want to dry the rice quickly.

When you spread the rice on the tray, it makes things easier for the initial process.

But if you want to speed up the process, you should keep it under the fan.

When you place the plate under the fan, it will cool down the grains quickly and help them dry faster.

Therefore, turn on the fan and see how it makes your rice dry in no time. 

3. Keep It In The Refrigerator

This is another interesting method to make your steamed rice dry quickly.

As you know, refrigerators are known to absorb moisture from the food we keep in them.

In return, they cool down the food ingredients with the help of cooling air that flows inside the different compartments.

So, it makes sense to keep the steamed rice in the refrigerator for some time.

Ideally, you should keep it in the refrigerator for about 25-30 minutes.

This is an ideal time for the rice to cool down completely.

Also, the grains will look perfect with their slender texture in the end.

4. Put It In The Freezer If You’re In A Hurry

This step is not required in most cases because you will always have enough time to cool down your steamed rice naturally or in the refrigerator.

However, if you still want to speed up the process further, you should put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

The freezer section will perform the same thing as the refrigerator section.

So, just be patient for a few minutes and remove the rice from your freezer afterward.

Note: Whether you’re putting it in the refrigerator or freezer, you should spread the grains on a plate. 

Apart from that, wait for few minutes so that the steam releases in the air.

Once the rice reaches warm temperature, you may place it in the fridge.

On the whole, these are the things you can do to dry your rice for making Fried Rice at home.

Now, let’s check out the next section where I’ve shared more tips on this topic.

Tips For Making Perfect Rice For Fried Rice

Although the above steps are useful in cooling down the rice grains, you need to know few more essential tips for this process.

So, let’s check them out as well.

1. Allow The Rice Temperature To Come Down To Room Temperature

Whenever you keep your steamed rice in the refrigerator, you shouldn’t be using it directly in the preparation.

The rice grains need to be at room temperature or slightly cold while making Fried Rice or Pulao dishes.

Most restaurants use the same technique while using the stored rice for their preparations.

If you use semi-cooked cold rice, it won’t cook properly in the final preparation.

The rice will not soak up the excess moisture or juices from the base mixture, and you will always find it a bit hard and chewy in the end.

Hence, it’s essential to follow this step whenever you put the fresh or leftover rice in the refrigerator.

2. Drizzle Some Oil On Top

When you keep the rice in the refrigerator or freezer, it may become too dry.

Sometimes, you will experience the same texture while enjoying your favorite rice dishes.

Well, if you want to avoid this from happening, you should drizzle some oil or ghee on top of this stored rice.

The additional oil will form a nice layer to the grains, which will make the whole experience even more enjoyable. 

3. Sprinkle Some Water While Cooking

Now, this should be done when you have already placed the rice in a wok or pan.

Since the rice is slightly undercooked, the additional water will help rejuvenate the grains and cook them to perfection as you prepare the dish.

So, apart from the oil, don’t forget to add water to your stored rice as well.

Once you sprinkle the water, cover the preparation with a lid for a few minutes.

This will generate some steam in the cooking pot, which will help cook the rice grains perfectly.

On that note, that’s all you need to remember while storing and reusing the steamed rice for Fried Rice and any such preparation.

In the next section, let’s have a look at the FAQs related to this topic.

FAQs

Over To You

When you talk about food preparations, it’s not always about what ingredients go into the process.

Most of the time, the taste and flavors depend on how you use these ingredients.

Similarly, Fried Rice can be prepared in many ways, but the way you prepare the rice matters a lot in its process.

So, do use the suggestions shared in the guide above and let me know if you have any further questions.

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