fried rice with shrimps and bak kwa

Yes! I am writing a post about fried rice again!

Some form of fried rice makes an appearance in my kitchen probably every fortnightly because that is usually when I have accumulated a collection of bits and bobs of food and I need to use up before they start to decay.

Anyway, fried rice is delicious and versatile and everyone in my family loves fried rice. Especially when the fried rice contains bak kwa.

Before I started writing this post, I was trying to figure a way to explain what bak kwa is to those who are not Chinese (or Singaporeans, or perhaps even Asians). Naturally I googled the word, and imagine my surprise when I found it in Wikipedia!! I guess this is one of the positive results of globalisation. The world has become so much smaller and so much more accessible.

So I ordered some bak kwa a couple of weeks ago because one of my friends suggested that it would make good drinking food. Most of the bak kwa I had ordered was consumed during a night of drinking with friends, but I still had a few slices sitting in the fridge.

Hence, I thought, why not put it into fried rice? I mean, I often use char siu to cook fried rice, and they sort of taste the same.

So, in today's fried rice recipe, start by sauteing thinly sliced shallots in some oil in a heated wok. I do not always have shallots in the fridge, but when I do, I would never fail to use them to cook fried rice. The flavour of shallots is milder than that of onions, and is delicious in any stir-fry dish!

Once the shallots had softened, add minced garlic and stir for another 30 seconds before adding the shrimps and bak kwa.

Add the thawed frozen vegetables.

Add the egg and luncheon meat. For a pictorial tutorial on how to cook the eggs, see here.

Add the rice, light and dark soy sauces and pepper.

Stir until the colour is even.

Top with spring onions and serve immediately.

I tend to fry my rice in the morning, and keep them in the rice cooker. In this way, I can keep the rice warm and people can eat it any time of the day.

With sliced bird's eyes chilli.

Loads of it.

:)

RECIPE
Fried Rice With Shrimps and Bak Kwa (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
2 cups rice, preferably over night rice
5 shallots, skin removed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon mince garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 eggs, fried
1/2 can luncheon meat, diced and fried until golden brown
150g bak kwa, chopped
200g frozen shrimps, heads and shells removed, thawed
200g frozen vegetables, thawed
3 sprigs spring onion, chopped
2 teaspoon light soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 bird's eye chilli, sliced (optional)

Method:
1. Saute thinly sliced shallots in some oil in a heated wok.
2. Once the shallots had softened, add minced garlic and stir for another 30 seconds before adding the shrimps and bak kwa.
3. Add the thawed frozen vegetables.
4. Add the egg and luncheon meat. For a pictorial tutorial on how to cook the eggs, see here.
5. Add the rice, light and dark soy sauces and pepper.
6. Stir until the colour is even.
7. Top with spring onions and serve immediately with sliced chili.