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Asian Fusion Fried Rice featuring roasted seaweed, Pi Xian doubanjiang and Douchi {fermented & salted beans} are so flavorfully delicious. It becomes even better if you have saved some juice from cooking red braised pork or duck. Gelatin & fat combination from cooking red braised pork belly, pork ribs or duck is perfect for fried rice or noodles. What a great way to turn your boring leftover rice into a tasty, glamorous bowl of fried rice, quick and easy.
Asian Fried Rice Ingredients Highlights:
What is Pi Xian DouBanJiang {郫县豆瓣酱}?
PI Xian is part of the Cheng Du metropolitan area in Sichuan {Szechuan} province of China, home to the well-known Szechuan cuisine. Naturally, Szechuan is also home to many delicious chili peppers only available in this area. DouBanJiang is a traditional Sichuan condiment featuring fermented and salted beans with chopped chili peppers. The most famous DouBanJiang is from Pi Xian.
When using DouBanJiang, a little goes a long way. I usually add one or two teaspoonfuls in cooking dishes such as Red Braised Pork Belly, Braised Mackerel, Pan-Fried Tofu, Spicy Cabbage Salad, Twice Cooked Pork, or Steamed Mussels. You name it. It does a wonderful job elevating the flavor and taste.
You can also thank Pi Xian DoubanJiang for the well-liked Sichuan traditional Yu Xiang dish.
What is DouChi {豆豉}?
The soybeans (usually black soy beans) are cooked and salted first and then fermented later in certain ways. Douchi taste like extremely concentrated soy sauce, almost like soy sauce packed in a bean. The history of using DouChi as a cooking ingredient by Chinese people went back as early as 165 B.C.
DouChi is widely incorporated into everyday cooking in China. I especially like them in cooking Tofu or Mackerel.
What kind of roasted seaweed is best for Asian Fusion Fried Rice?
Nori {Hai Tai 海苔}, usually used in making sushi rolls, is the best. Please note this differs from the snack version of roasted seaweed, which is usually treated with oil and salt. Nori is made from a special type of red algae belonging to the seaweed family.
For Nori, people would shred the seaweed first and then press it into thin sheets. For a substitute, you can also use the Chinese version called zicai {紫菜}, which literally translates into a purple vegetable.
Zicai is from the same type of red algae. Instead of pressing the shredded seaweed into a flat thin sheet-like paper, people simply cut the seaweed into thin strips and thin pile it up in a layered fashion into a large round disk.
It is a popular traditional Chinese food, especially known for making a quick & easy instant soup. They also appear in the classic Huai Yang Style Wonton Soup.
Possible Variations
If you happen to have some frozen peas and/or corns. They complement fried rice beautifully. Use half rice and half peas/corn combination for this recipe.
To blanch the peas and corns, add frozen peas and corns to boiling water in a saucepan. Mix, stir, and wait for it to reach reboil again and then remove from the water using a stainless steel spider skimmer.
Add the blanched peas/corns along with the cooked rice when making Asian Fusion Fried Rice.
Like fried rice? Remember to check out classic Huai Yang style Yangzhou Frid Rice.
Asian Fusion Fried Rice Recipe {Quick Easy Delicous Way}
Asian Fusion Fried Rice featuring sesame oil, roasted seaweed, Pi Xian doubanjiang (or Kimchi) and Douchi {fermented & salted beans} are so flavorfully delicious and quick & easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb cooked rice, either brown or white rice, about 2 bowls (23 oz capacity bowl), loosely packed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, or other types of cooking oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce or dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp - 3tsp Douchi, chopped, use less if the douchi is a saltier version, see notes 1
- 1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp DouBanJiang, or use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup kimchi instead. Use less for mild spicy levels.
- 4 sheets of nori, roasted seaweed, cut into thin strips
- 1 stalk of green onion, cilantro, or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cut green onion into small pieces. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the nori into thin strips.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and heat a hard anodized fry pan for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp avocado oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil to the frying pan along with the green onion and rice. Save a little bit of green onion for garnishing later. Break down the rice using a slotted spatula or a pair of bamboo spatulas.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan. Fold, turn and toss to blend everything. If you still see lumps of rice, use the spatula to break them down.
- Continue to fold, and mix for about 5 minutes, until everything is blended nicely.
- All done! Serve hot and garnish the rice with the remaining chopped green onion. Enjoy a quick, easy and tasty meal.
Notes
- There are many varieties of douchi on the market. Some are much saltier than others. Usually, the color and the shape are good indications. For instance, if the color is super black and all the beans are bundled together into a block of paste, it usually indicates they are aged douchi and is saltier. If that's the case, then just use 1 tsp and chop it into fine pieces.
- If you happen to have some pork fat/gelatin combo saved from cooking red braised pork or duck, they serve as an excellent substitute for the avocado oil.
- I recommend using a hard anodized frying pan to make fried rice for its superb non-stick and heat-resistant features.
Recommended Ingredients:
Pi Xian DouBanJiang, Douchi, Nori {roasted seaweed}, naturally aged soy sauce, light soy sauce.
Recommended Kitchen Tools and Gadgets:
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount of commission from the qualifying purchases.
- Kimchi Original
- Bamboo Spoons & Spatula
- KitchenAid Classic Slotted Turner, One Size, Black
- Organic Daechun(Choi's1) Roasted Seaweed, GIM (50 Full Sheets), Resealable, Gold Grade, Product of Korea
- Sichuan / Pixian / Pi Xian Broad Bean Paste 8OZ (227g) by Fivedayscombo ELEC
- Wan Ja Shan Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce (2 Pack, Total of 33.8fl.oz)
- Light Soy Sauce
- Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan
- Pearl River Bridge Yang Jiang Flavor Preserved Beans, 250 g/8.82 oz.
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 656Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 29gCholesterol 18mgSodium 1443mgCarbohydrates 66gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 12g
Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.