Lemongrass Turmeric Fried Rice

With brown crispy bits because I have a real carbon steel wok now

I'm continually on the hunt for new interesting fried rice recipes, because I have yet to make fried rice as good as I can get it in a few restaurants (Korea House and Bao Bao House, I'm looking at you). Today I was looking at a partial jar of Cambodian lemongrass paste in the fridge and thinking that I should try to use that in fried rice, but I was nervous that it might be a bad idea. After some targeting searching, I found a recipe on Plant Based Matters that does exactly this. The seasoning is just the paste, salt to taste, and fresh lime. I was empowered.

I do wish that I could find the lemongrass paste locally, since it's a little expensive to order online. This recipe, as well as the stir-fry that I bought it for, each use half of the $10 jar. Still cheaper than restaurant food, but not great. One day I'll track down lemongrass and kefir lime and galangal and try to make it myself. (Note: the Plant Based Matters recipe uses this lemongrass paste, which is cheaper than the Cambodian one I've been buying. It doesn't have all of the same ingredients, most noticeably fish sauce, but I could easily add that. I'll try working from that one next time.)

The Recipe:

3 c leftover cooked rice (I used a blend of varieties, but I think jasmine would be best)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 onion, minced

other vegetables (today I used 1 carrot and 1/2 bell pepper)

1 c shelled edamame, boiled

2 eggs, scrambled

3 tb lemongrass turmeric paste

salt, to taste

1/2 lime

cilantro, for garnish

In a hot wok, saute onion/garlic/vegetables in oil (I used avocado oil) until browned and slightly softened. Season with salt.
Add rice and cook until heated through and slightly browned
Add lemongrass paste and salt to taste
Fold in edamame and scrambled eggs
Just before serving, squeeze lime juice on top and garnish with cilantro

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: Unique and easy

Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Husband quote: (He didn't give my any clever quotes on this one, but he liked it)

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