Spicy Fried Rice / Spicy Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice

Spicy Fried Rice is a popular Indo-Chinese rice recipe, vibrant and appealing with its dominant spice level. Indians have changed the authentic Chinese cuisine and modified it to suit Indian taste buds by adding special spices. They created an entirely new cuisine and named it Indo-Chinese. Made popular by street food chefs, Indo Chinese dishes are very much in demand. You get a variety of fried rice recipes like Schezwan spicy fried rice, Chinese fried rice, Singapore Spicy Fried rice etc. across the street food stalls in India. Chinese fried rice as you know is not spicy, whereas Schezwan fried rice is prepared with a fiery schezuan sauce and Singapore style Spicy Fried rice is prepared with curry spices and chilli paste. Preparing the rice beforehand is important to get rid of the stickiness. Besides, cold rice is essential for perfect fried rice. Check the link for fried rice to get that perfect rice that does not stick together.

I seriously doubt whether the Singapore spicy fried rice that we get here is authentic, well, I need to go there and find out. Being a Southeast Asian Island state, Singapore has a diverse cuisine influenced with adaptations from its neighboring countries. This recipe for Spicy fried rice resembles the Singapore fried rice that we get across restaurants in India, as I have added curry spices and chili paste along with a dash of fish sauce to make it appealing. Yes, it was totally alluring with its vibrant colour, the heavenly combination of prawns, chicken and crunchy vegetables, the pleasing aroma of spices and flavourful fish sauce. Shrimps or prawns add zest to fried rice recipes. If you like Prawns/ Shrimps, check my Crispy Coconut Prawns, Prawns in coconut curry, Andhra spicy Prawns masala, Dynamite prawns and Chemmeen roast. 

The weather in Bangalore has been unpredictable and gloomy lately, with heavy showers in the evening and cloudy morning sky with drizzles in between. To top it all it is exam season for the kids. So, to spice up our gloomy lives, I got some prawns and made this fiery chicken and prawn fried rice. Yeah! The moods were lifted magically, and the dinner plates were filled with rice, for a change. Spicy Fried rice is so filling and satisfying like American chopsuey, that you don’t really need any side dish. We just had some manchow soup as accompaniment. You can have this for any weekday lunch or dinner. The stir-fried chicken and prawns makes it an exotic dish and if you have guests, serve it with some Indo-chinese gravy dish like Honey chilli chicken, Soya Manchurian, Paneer chilli, Szechwan chilli chicken, Chilly Fish, Chilly Pork, Mushroom pepper fry, Beef and Mushroom, Gobi Manchurian etc. or Sweet corn Chicken soup to balance the flavours.

Rice menu:

Check my other rice dishes like Vegetable Fried rice, Spicy Garlic fried rice, Tomato Rice, Ghee Rice, Paneer Pulao, Corn Pulao, Vegetable Pulao, Pressure cooker Biriyani and other exotic Thalassery Biriyani dishes.

Grab your apron and we will start straight away! Here is your recipe for restaurant style Spicy Fried rice.

Ingredients for marination:

Ingredients for Spicy Fried Rice:

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Step by step recipe for Spicy Fried Rice:

1. Left over rice is best for Fried rice. If you don’t have any rice in stock, check and prepare rice as per instructions given in Vegetable Fried rice. Allow to cool.
2. Clean and devein the prawns and cut the chicken into small pieces.
3. Marinate separately with pepper powder, soy sauce, Ginger Garlic paste and salt. You can marinate for half hour or more.
4. Chop the carrots and Bell Pepper into fine squares.
5. Cook the green peas, drain and keep aside.
6. Cut red chilies into fine rounds, chop the garlic and ginger finely and keep aside.
7. Wash the sprouts and drain.

8. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a thick wok/ pan and add star anise then finely chopped garlic, ginger and red chillies and stir fry for few seconds.
9. Next, add Carrots, Spring onion whites and fry on high flame for a minute and then add capsicum, adjust salt and stir fry for another minute.  Keep aside.

10. Pour little more oil into the pan and stir fry chicken on high flame till cooked and keep aside.
11. In the same pan, add the marinated prawns and stir fry till it is cooked.
12. Return the chicken and crispy veggies to the pan. Add sprouts and cooked peas.

13. Now, mix in the Chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, Cumin and Garam Masala powders.
14. Beat the eggs with little salt and make a plain omlette in a pan. Roll and cut into thin strips.

15. In a small bowl, mix Chilli paste, soy sauce, Fish Sauce, vinegar and Tomato sauce and pour into the pan.
16. Next add the rice and mix to coat the rice with sauces.Gently break the rice if there are lumps.
17. Mix in Celery, Spring onion greens and the egg strips to the rice and combine everything well, till the rice is hot.

Adjust the salt and add more chilli paste if you prefer it spicier. Ttransfer to a serving plate. Serve with any Indo-Chinese dish of your choice. Enjoy!

To make Chilli paste:

1. Boil dried red chilies (10 – 15 nos) in water for 5 minutes.
2. Drain and let it cool. Grind the chilies coarsely along with 1 tsp. Vinegar, salt and sugar.
3. Keep aside for cooling and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips:

• Medium grain white basmati rice or pulao rice is good for Fried rice.
• Please check the link “how to make vegetable fried rice” for instructions to make perfect rice without sticking. Follow the tips closely.
• Only cold rice should be mixed with vegetables. Hot rice will be sticky and would form lumps while mixing.
• You can marinate the chicken and prawns earlier and keep in the refrigerator.
• Chicken, Prawns and veggies are stir-fried on high flame to ensure that smoky flavor and crunchiness that enhances the whole dish.
• I have used Sesame/ Gingely oil for this Spicy fried rice.
• Mix fried rice and vegetables in parts to ensure well separated rice.
• Use non-stick pan to avoid breakage of rice or if you have a wide wok use the same.
• The vegetables should not be over cooked. It should remain crunchy.
• Small Prawns are better for this fried rice.
• You can substitute spice powders with curry powder as well. (1 tbsp)
• Fish sauce adds great flavours to the dish, you can skip if you don’t have the same.
• Use fresh peas or frozen peas. Cook separately and add to the rice.
• Chilli paste can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
• It is a great lunch box option for kids and adults.

If you found this Hot and Spicy Fried Rice recipe tasty and useful, please let me know or share it with your friends. It will inspire me to add more homemade recipes for you. Thank you and God Bless!!