Freshly steamed rice that’s super flakey and packed with delicate flavors!

There’s nothing like some Bangla-Chinese Style Fried Rice. Made with Bangladeshi chinigura rice which is basically a baby basmati, this dish has nuances of South Asian flavors and aromas, combined with deshi cooking techniques that allow the fried rice to be made fresh the day of and still be super flakey. You’ll never use day old rice again!

I make my fried rice Pulao style, which means the raw rice is fried in the oil before steaming instead of after, and it really is a game changer!

Frying the rice raw keeps each grain separate while you steam, resulting in some of the flakiest rice without having to stir-fry in large amounts of oil or having to use day old rice.

The way to know if your rice is fried enough is to hear for the sound of the rice change while you’re stirring. You’ll notice that when the grains hit the pot and move around they sound different than usual, that’s when you know you’re done. If you don’t fry it long enough your rice will clump together as usual and won’t be as flaky.

For the toppings, I like to keep all the flavors as clean as possible.

So I cook each toping separately one by one, with just a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Then throw them all into the pot once the rice is cooked. All you have to do is mix the topping in, let the rice steam for a few more minutes so the flavors can come together, and you’re ready to serve!

You can watch the full process in this video!

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 cup chinigura/kalijeera/white rice washed and drained well
• 2-4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 large white onion (about 1/2 cup diced)
• 1 tsp salt (half for steaming, half at the end – to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• pinch of tasting salt
• 1 1/2 cups water (for steaming rice)
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium carrot (about 1/3 cup grated)
• 1/4 bunch green onion (about 1/4 cup finely sliced)
• pinch of salt + black pepper (for egg + veggies)
• oil (for frying egg + veggies)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Wash your rice until the water runs clean, then drain well.

Heat your pot on medium high, add in your oil and onions. Fry until they just start to brown.

Then add in your sliced garlic and washed rice (the rice should be pretty dry by now)

Fry the rice in the oil for a few minutes until they change color and start to sound different. Don’t let the garlic burn.

Then pour in your water, salt (half first, half later), sugar, and tasting salt.

Let it come up to a boil, then put the lid on, turn your heat down to low, and let simmer/steam for about 15 minutes.

While your rice is cooking, use a small pan to first scramble your eggs, then fry the rest of your veggies one by one and transfer to a plate for later.

Remember to lightly salt and pepper each item, and use as little oil as possible.

You should be done with the toppings by the time your rice is finished steaming. Check a grain from the top to see if it’s cooked through.

Then throw in all your toppings and some more salt

Mix everything together, taste and adjust with more salt/sugar/tasting salt if needed

Then put the lid back on and let it steam on low or with the heat turned off for a few more minutes for the flavors to come together. Serve hot and enjoy!