Philippine Style Fried Rice

Philippine Style Fried Rice

When I was the Philippines, I loved to eat the special fried rice made there. It is both an ultimate delicious comfort food, and ultra-frugal - created to use up everyday leftovers and make them even more delicious than they were when first served.

After I returned the the US, I found a recipe in the More with Less Cookbook that I was pretty close, but I was able to tweak it till it was identical. Over the years, I veganized it and made it healthier than it had been before (Although, it is still fried rice, and as such, is one of the highest oil recipes I ever make - but it's still a lot lower oil than the original).

If you have special dietary needs, such as Vegan or Gluten Free or Peanut Free, make sure that all of your ingredients conform to your diet.

Philippine Style Fried Rice
Mix & set aside:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup TVP Granules*
Saute for several minutes, to cook and blend flavours:
2 Tablespoons mild flavoured Oil (or, Peanut Oil, if you have it)
1 to 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Garlic (I use the jarred kind)
1 Large Onion, Chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
3 to 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I use Kikkoman - use a GF variety if you're GF)
Reconstituted TVP (Above)
Add and stir-fry for 5 minutes, till rice becomes light golden brown
6 cups leftover cooked rice (preferably long grain)**
Add and cook till hot:
1 pound bag frozen peas***
Serve & Enjoy!

*TVP is optional here. Your favorite burger crumbles would probably substitute well - or even crumbled firm tofu.

A little info on TVP: It gives a unique texture, but is a highly processed refined food. It is available from many distributors, including Bob's Red Mill. It is my understanding that Archer-Daniels-Midland makes all TVP. They did not reply to my email inquiring whether it was GMO free. It keeps exceptionally well, making it a good disaster preparedness food for some, and is extremely high in vegetable protein and fiber. It is commonly used as an ingredient in commercial meat-substitutes, such as veggie burgers.  But, it upsets my digestion if I eat it too often. So, it is your call on whether - or how often - to use it.

**Leftover rice is actually superior to freshly cooked here - the dryness of the rice absorbs the flavor, and it doesn't become too mushy while cooking.

***Any compatible leftover veggie in the back of your fridge may be subbed for the peas - corn, green beans, carrots, you name it. You could also use veggies like Bok Choy if you add them when you add the onion.

Tips for dining with Omnivores:
Chopped leftover meat may be subbed for the TVP (if you're sharing the dish with an Omnivore, add the Omnivore's meat at the end after removing your own portion).
It is traditional to add a couple of raw beaten eggs at the very end, and cook, stirring till bits of egg are cooked through the rice.
Some Omnivores add a dollop of Plain Yogurt on top - even though this is decidedly a non-Philippine touch.

This is being shared on Gluten Free Fridays, Modest Mondays, In & Out of the Kitchen, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Weekend Wonders