Fried rice with crunchy particles (Vietnamese: cơm chiên hạt giòn) is a Vietnamese style fried rice with a ratio of 7 soft rice and 3 crispy-fried rice particles. It may also be called cơm chiên 7/3, cơm chiên bảy ba, or cơm chiên ba bảy, which reflects the rice ratio.
Unlike common fried rice, you need an extra step to crispy-fried some rice first. To make these crunchy rice particles, you need dried cooked rice. Some cooks may coat those rice grains thinly with tapioca starch, corn starch or wheat flour, while other don’t. Then you deep-fry it in oil until they are crispy. The next step, you put the fried rice in a mortar and use a pestle to break those rice grains into smaller particles.
In Vietnam, there are many rice cultivars and the best rice for fried rice dishes in general is from fluffy rice cultivar. Fluffy rice absorbs water more and is less sticky when cooked.
This recipe shows a basic vegan fried rice dish. In short, it is fried rice with crunchy particles and chopped tofu skins and greens.
Marinate tofu skin shreds with fermented tofu, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 teaspoon of granule seasoning for about 30 mins. In a saucepan, deep-fry the marinated tofu skin shreds until they are golden brown. Use a mortar and a pestle to crush the fried tofu skin shreds after they are cooled off.
Air-dry 1 cup of cooked rice, and put it in the fridge for 30 mins. Then crispy-fry the rice on medium heat. When the rice is drained and cooled off, use the mortar and pestle again to crush them into small particles.
In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil, then reduce the heat. Add 5 cups of cooked rice, then 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of granule seasoning, and stir and crush if there are some rice chunks. When the rice is becoming hardened, add chopped napa cabbage, and sir for 1 min. Next, add tofu skin shreds, and the crispy particles and stir well. Finally, add half of the minced ginger and chopped coriander and toss up then turn off the heat.
Use a clay pot, add some crispy particles and fried rice, then warm the pot a little bit. Garnish the pot with some remaining minced ginger and chopped coriander. Serve with some garlic-flavored soy sauce.
Adjust the rice with the ratio of 7:3 if something in this recipe is not clear.
Vietnamese cuisine is the method of cooking, the principle of mixing spices and the general dining habits of all Vietnamese people in Vietnam. With a unique geography, climate, and cultural exchange, the cuisine of Vietnam is extremely diverse and rich. The characteristics of Vietnamese cuisine is the focus on the freshness, so Vietnamese dishes are generally perceived as delicious and healthy.
