In Asia, the most staple food in every home is rice. Every country in Asia has its own special fried rice recipe. With extra rice from the night before stored cleanly in your refrigerator, you can now turn it into an instant dinner everyone will love.

Here is a recipe from Mark Bittman.

Ingredients: (serves 2 to 3)

1 1/2 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cups cooked rice

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoon xiao shing wine, white wine, or water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

Procedure:

- Pour 1/2 tablespoon of the oil into a large skillet set over high heat. When hot, add the onion and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

- With the heat still on high, add the chicken. Stir often at the beginning to keep it from sticking. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they are browned. Remove the chicken with the slotted spoon and combine with the onion and bell pepper.

- Pour the rest of the oil into the pan, and then add the garlic and ginger. Cook, for 15 seconds, then add the rice. Stir well to break up any clumps. When well coated in the oil, move the rice to the sides of the pan, creating a well in the center. Add the whisked egg. When it starts to set, stir it into the rice.

- Add the cooked onion, red bell pepper, and the chicken to the pan, along with the wine (or water) and the frozen peas. Continue stirring and cook for about a minute. Turn off the heat, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you don’t have xiao shing wine, you can substitute water instead. You can also add in some spice using some chili oil or a bottle of Sriracha.

Also, the secret to making a successful fried rice is to prepare all ingredients beforehand since cooking fried rice requires for you to mix it nonstop and to add the ingredients quickly.