So tonight my goal was to cook dinner without going to the grocery store. It is raining, I am tired after a 7 mile run and I just felt like staying home and making cookies. So I found a recipe in Food Network Magazine for Curry Fried Rice and I had all the ingredients so it was a win/win. I know that people either love curry or they hate curry...I am on the love side.




I also decided to educate myself a little bit about curry. I learned that curry is a Western invention and does not reflect a specific Indian food. It is closely related to garam masala and Tamil sambar powder which are both prevalent in Indian foods, however curry itself is a blend of several different spices. Normally curry powder is a blend of coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and red pepper or some variation. It can also include ginger, garlic, fennel seed, caraway, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, cardamon, nutmeg and pepper. It is believed the curry was a corruption of the word kari which loosely translates to a dish that includes sauce, vegetables and meat.

I also learned that curry became popular when the British colonized India. However, it became more popular in the US in the 1960's and 70's. I also learned that there isn't a standardized version of curry so people may enjoy one curry variety and not another. Finally, my last curry tidbit for the day...I also learned that often times the curry recipe is passed down through a family so different families may have different curry variations.

Ok back to the recipe. This is by far one of the most simple recipes, however I did learn a great technique for cooking egg. So you know how fried rice has thin bits of chopped up egg in it well I learned how this is done. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add a beaten egg and swirl the pan. The more you swirl the pan the thinner the egg and as you swirl it the egg starts to set. Once you have swirled it to a desired thickness let it set completely and then take it out of the pan. Cook the rest of your rice and at the end add your egg back in and chop it as you stir it in.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 beaten egg and swirl the pan; let set, then transfer to a plate. Add 6 roughly chopped scallions to the pan along with 2 teaspoons curry powder, and pepper to taste; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups cooked rice; spread in an even layer and cook 3 minutes. Add the egg, and salt to taste; stir to break up the egg. Drizzle with sesame oil.

This recipe has great flavor. I love the consistency of the cooked rice and the egg. I love the flavor of the curry powder, sesame oil and salt. And the green onions added a nice hint of crunch. All in all this was an easy dish with a lot of flavor and it will be perfect for lunch leftovers throughout the week. Cheers!