Let's talk rice - there are a lot of different options here. We've got white rice, brown rice, red rice, black rice, short grain, long grain, basmati, jasmine, wild... the list goes on! What does all of this mean?
Brown rice vs. white rice
Brown rice is more intact; it still has the bran which gives you a lot more fiber. White rice is more processed; the bran has been removed and there is not a lot of nutrients in it. It's very similar to the difference between white bread and wheat bread. The texture is different so it may take a little getting use to if you've only ever had white rice. My husband is still not a fan of brown rice so I've been slowly incorporating it into our diet. If you are not use to brown rice you can go all in with it or make it half white and half brown to slowly acclimate yourself to the new texture. I, personally, enjoy brown rice more than white rice and I like knowing that I'm getting more nutrients in it but again it's all personal preference.
Short grain vs long grain
Short grain rice absorbs water quicker and it ends up being (obviously) shorter and plumper. It also ends up being a little more sticky. It is used more in sushi or risotto. Long grain rice (like Jasmine or Basmati) is firmer. It is longer and skinny when it cooks. However, Jasmine rice does tend to be a sticker long grain rice when compared to basmati.
When making fried rice you don't really want sticky rice so I would go with a long grain variety. If you are using white rice I would choose Basmati, if you are using brown rice just look for a long-grain variety.
Another trick when making fried rice is you want the rice cool when you add it to the pan to fry it. How I typically do this is I make the rice (I have a rice cooker which makes cooking rice super easy!) and when it's done I transfer to a bowl and then start the fried rice. By the time I need to add the rice it's had a chance to cool off. If you are looking for a quick lunch you could even buy a bag of rice you pop in the microwave to cook. Don't be intimidated by cooking because there are always little short cuts you can use if you need to while you are still learning.
I also think one of my favorite things about rice is that it's easy to change the quantity depending on how many people you are cooking for. I made this for my family (4 of us were eating) and I used 2 cups uncooked rice. If you are making it for 2 people use 1 cup of rice, if you're making it for yourself 1/2 cup of rice, not very hungry 1/4 cup of rice... see it's super easy :) Now that we've got our rice cooked let's get frying!
Start by heating 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes. If don't really like onions, just use a small amount. However, I think the onions give fried rice it's really good flavor so don't be afraid to try a little extra in it. Also, if you dice the onion really small, almost to the point of mincing it, you will get the flavor without having the pieces of onion in the rice when you eat it. For 2 cups of uncooked rice I used half an onion.
Once the onion has cooked add in frozen peas and carrots. I typically do 1/3 - 1/2 a bag; my kids LOVE fried rice so I like to have a good rice to veggie ratio for them. This is another part that you can customize as you please - you could add green onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, water chestnuts, etc. I like to keep it simple.
Once the peas and carrots have cooked for about 5 minutes move them to the edges of the pan and crack an egg in the center. Typically if I'm making a big batch for my whole family I'll use 2 eggs but today I just did 1.
Scramble the egg, cook it until it is no longer runny, and then stir to incorporate it into the veggies. If a couple of the veggies get into the egg while you are cooking it that's not a big deal; don't stress out trying to keep the egg in the center and everything else on the sides because it's all getting mixed together anyways.
Once the egg is cooked add in the rice and soy sauce. There isn't a exact measure for adding the soy sauce either. I typically start with 2-3 Tablespoons, taste the rice, and add a little bit more if I think I needs it. Again, this is all personal taste and flavor so adjust it until you like it. Cook for about another 5 minutes or until the rice is heated through. And there you have it, delicious homemade fried rice! You could even add chicken, shrimp, or beef to it and make it an entire meal.
Cost Break Down!!
Now, I actually don't know how much all of the ingredients cost me because most of this stuff I already had around the house so this cost break down is more of an estimate (although I typically try to overestimate costs when I'm not certain on the price). I know my olive oil costs me $0.08 for a Tablespoon. I'm pretty sure my 5 lb bag of rice cost about $15 so 2 cups would be about $2.50. An onion costs me $0.25, so half an onion would be $0.13. A bag of frozen peas and carrots is $1, so half of it is $0.50. 1 dozen eggs is about $1.50 so 1 egg would be $0.13. My 15 oz. bottle of soy sauce was about $2.75 and 3 Tablespoons is 1.5 ounces so the soy sauce costs $0.28.
All together I made a large bowl of fried rice for my family of 4 for less than $3.75
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