Saturday, February 24, 2007

"Chili Fried Rice"


The chili pepper is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family of Solanaceae. The name comes from Nahuatl via the Spanish word "chile". The term is usually refer to the smaller and hotter types of capsicum. Chili peppers and their various cultivars originate in the Americas, they are now grown around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine and as medicine.

The fruit is eaten cooked or raw for its fiery hot flavor which is concentrated along the top of the pod. The stem end of the pod has glands which produce the capsaicin which then flows down through the pod. The white pith that surrounds the seeds. It contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin. Removing the seeds and inner membranes is thus effective at reducing the heat of a pod.

The substances that gives chili peppers their heat is capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids.


Good for 4-6 servings.


You'll need:

  • 3 tbsps of palm oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 150-200 grams of lean ground pork
  • 1 tsp of ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp of fish sauce
  • 5 long pcs of stringbeans (sitaw), chopped
  • 2 large white onion, halved and sliced thickly
  • 3 pcs of hot chili pepper (labuyo), chopped
  • a piece of finger chili, chopped
  • 125 grams of pechay tagalog or pak choi, cut at 1" length
  • 6 cups cold cooked rice, mash to separate grains
  • 1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1-1/2 tbsp of liquid seasoning, chili flavor


Here's how:

Using high heat, saute garlic until light brown only. Put ground pork, 1/2 of ground black pepper and fish sauce. Stir-fry to separate pork. Cook until liquid dries up.

Put the string beans. Saute for a minute. Add in the onion, chilis and pak choi. Stir-fry until half-done only.

Place the cooked rice, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and the rest of ground black pepper. Mix. Drizzle the liquid seasoning. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Best serve hot or with any fried fish or meat.

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