SPAM Fried Rice (Using Koshihikari Rice)

Last night, I supposed to cook a dinner. But I was unwell and feeling exhausted. And so, I think I will only have energy to toss some fried rice. I simply don't have the strength to walk to the nearby supermarket to get fresh ingredients. Since I intend to write a review on the Niigata Koshihikari rice that I'd purchased, I think I should just do it.

And so, before I talk about my SPAM Fried Rice, allow me to side track abit here, and give some review on my Koshihikari Rice.

This is a bowl of freshly cooked Koshihikari Rice, using my Zojirushi rice cooker.

There's a thing about cooking Japanese rice that you need to know. You need to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. With this, the result of your rice would be better and kinda less sticky in a way, as I do believe that the white & milky substance that we see during rice washing is probably, somehow.... starch?

The texture of this Koshihikari Rice is really good and white. I see no trace of other color in there. It's just pure white that is almost transparent.

Another thing that I'd noticed about this pack of expensive rice is that there isn't any torn/broken rice. Almost every single grain are in complete shape. In which, I think it is very important about such quality assurance, since I am paying such high price for that.

Look at this one more time... It's stickier in texture, compared to Hitomebore, but softer and the chewiness is unbeatable! I really couldn't tell you more how wonderful the after-taste sweetness that lingers in me, after I scooped a spoonful of white rice into my mouth. It makes me wants to eat more, even if it is just plain white rice. 

While I had been lazy recently, I understand why cooking can hold so much terror to modern girls nowadays. And the kitchen seems a place of stress not solace. I'm sure this is partly to do with the contemporary cult of the chef, and is further fuelled by the hysterical pursuit of perfection that defines the age we live in.

But if we really needed qualifications and expertise before we stepped into the kitchen, human beings would have fallen out of the evolutionary loop a long time ago. Cooking can be easy and it can be quite therapeutic in a way, if you learn how to be easy, slowly and calmly. As long as the ingredients is right, basic equipment is there, you are just a step away to success!

While everything is so unprepared, and I knew I have to cook something for dinner, but nothing much left in the fridge. I've got a SPAM Lite in my cupboard. One of the canned food that I'd always make sure I do keep stock.

Although Luncheon Meats imported from China is much cheaper, but I'd rather not so convinced by the way they produce it. The meat that they used & bla bla bla... Anyway, SPAM, especially SPAM Lite is a good alternative and much better in taste and quality. They are made in USA. I love it and I think I will stick to it.

Get some simple ingredients ready for fried rice...

Ingredients 
Cooked white rice that feeds 3 adults. I cooked 2 cups of raw rice.
2 eggs, beaten.
2 shitake mushrooms, cut into small cubes
1 small onion, chopped
half can of SPAM, diced
2 spring onions
a tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of mirin
6 tablespoons of japanese soy sauce. It's individual taste. You could add more if you want.
few dashes of pepper

Method
1. In a wok, toss the SPAM cubes till it looks lightly browned. No need to add oil on the wok. SPAM itself will ooze out some oil. And those oils from SPAM is the flavor that we wanted. Dish up, set aside.

2. Using another pan, beaten eggs on the wok. Just fry it messily. Like frying scrambled eggs. When it is about 70% cooked. Dish up, set aside. Eggs would looks nicer on fried rice if it's been scrambled beforehand, so that it would be evenly distributed in pieces.

3. A tablespoons of oil on the wok that you used to fry SPAM, fry chopped onions till fragrant. Add in rice & shitake mushroom. Stir the rice well. Let the rice coated with oil. This will make your rice less sticky.

4. Add in soy sauce, eggs, SPAM & dashes of pepper. Toss. Not to forget soy sauce & pepper. Give it a toss for another 3 mins, it should be good enough.

5. Heat off, add in half portion of spring onions. Stir well. Dish up. Sprinkle some spring onions on top as a garnishing before serve.

Look at this bowl of fried rice. It has beautiful pale brownish color that I love.

I foresee something bad about buying good quality rice. I ate 2 bowls of that without realizing. Max ate 3 bowls. This is so damned.

Also, the fact is that, I will tell you honestly, judging this bowl of fried rice, I'm totally not shamed to say; the uniqueness, or rather the 80% of the yummy-ness goes to the good quality rice that I'm using. This is obvious, as you all could see that the ingredient that I used is indeed nothing special to talk about, since I choose not to use complicated ingredients that will end up over-powered the goodness of the rice. And SPAM alone is really flavorful enough to go along with it, that is also another fact.

I'm unsure if you would do this. But at least, as I'm sure, this is one of the best home-cooked meal during lazy moments.

If you do have the chance, please go ahead and get a pack of good quality Koshihikari Rice. I would highly recommend that.

Stay tuned!