Lemongrass Fried Rice

Slightly fragrant with the taste of exotic lemongrass, this fried rice is delicious alone or with an entrée. 

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for lemongrass fried rice. It sounds a little odd, doesn’t it? But it’s so delicious! And this dish is super easy to make. It’s a great option for vegans too if you want to spice up your rice. The lemongrass adds just a little bit of flavor, but that makes such a huge difference. Each bite is lemony and refreshing. You can eat the rice alone or with an entrée.

 

Lemongrass is often found in Asian dishes, for instance, tom yum or sometimes curry. Since lemongrass is often tough and woody, it is hard to chew. Usually it is added to a dish for the flavoring, and once a dish is ready to be served, the lemongrass is removed and thrown out. In this recipe though, the lemongrass is so finely processed that it can be eaten with the rice.

Lemongrass itself has been linked to some health benefits. A few studies have shown that lemongrass has cancer fighting properties, can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, relieves anxiety and stress, aids in digestion, and alleviates stomach problems as well as other health benefits. So consider adding lemongrass to your food.

First, either finely chop the lemongrass or place them in a food processor. I recommend the food processor because it will be able to mince the lemongrass evenly. You want it a lot finer than the photo I have below. I chopped these up, but I recommend using a food processor to get it fine. The finer, the better. Otherwise, you’ll encounter hard lemongrass pieces as you eat your rice.

Next, in a skillet, add about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Allow the oil to heat for about 30 seconds. Then add the minced lemongrass. Lower the heat to low and stir the lemongrass to prevent it from burning.

After one to two minutes, add rice to the skillet. I used leftover rice from dinner the night before, but you can cook fresh rice and use the same method.

Add water to make sure that the rice is moist. Stir to combine the rice with the lemongrass.

Add in crushed red peppers for an extra spiciness. Sprinkle in paprika for a little bit of color. Paprika is a great way to add color to your food. Season the rice with salt to taste. Stir them into the rice until it’s evenly distributed.

Cook for about a minute or two until the ingredients are incorporated. Remove the skillet from heat.

Plate the rice and serve alone or with an entrée of choice. You can serve with my asparagus and shiitake mushroom stir fry recipe.

Enjoy!

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