Bell pepper and beef stir-fry is one classic Chinese dish. The key to its success is wok hei, the bigger the fire with quicker cooking time can create such mouth-watering aroma to the dish.
We are not aiming for wok hei this time since it can be quite a task for regular household cookware with the usual more "chilled" style cooking method. However, we can still take that wonderful seasonings from the stir-fry and turn it into a fried rice meal. To make it even better, sacha sauce is already standing by for a flavor boost.
Sacha flavored bell pepper and beef fried rice 沙茶青椒牛肉炒飯 -
Ingredients (about 5 to 6 portions)?
- 3 rice measuring cups white rice
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 medium onion
- 450 grams beef chunks
- 3 tablespoons sacha sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Some salt
- Some black pepper
- Some red chilies (I used pickled red chilies instead)
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine
- 1 egg white
How?
Pre-cook the rice with a bit less than usual amount of water. Once done, fluff the grains and set aside for later use. You can also pre-cook the rice the day before or use any leftover rice for this recipe.
Slice the beef to bite size chunks. I actually used cheaper grade steak here. Use all the ingredients under the "marinade" section to massage and marinate the meat.
Note that we're only using the egg white here, so simply pour the remaining yolk to a bowl. Also break two more eggs to that bowl along with one pinch of salt. Beat till blended and set aside for later use.
Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the onion. Destem, pitted, and slice the bell peppers. If using fresh chilies, destem, chop into rings and soak with some soy sauce. Set aside till the end when the fried rice is ready.
Take out a wok, drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and switch to medium heat. Wait till the oil gets warm. Add in beaten egg and make scrambled eggs. Once ready, scoop out and set aside.
Still using the same wok, pour in 1 1/2 more tablespoons of oil and still using medium heat. Transfer onion over along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook till the edge of the onion turns slightly browned. Add in garlic and cook till aromatic but not burnt.
Transfer bell pepper slices over and give it a quick stir-fry, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add in the beef along with its marinade. Cook till the meat starts to change color. Add 3 tablespoons of sacha sauce. Use up to 5 tablespoons for a stronger sacha taste. Stir-fry till evenly blended.
Mix in cooked rice in two batches. Make sure the first batch has been incorporated with all other ingredients before adding the second batch. Once all mixed together, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. I actually added one more pinch of salt and one more tablespoon of soy sauce for a saltier result.
Once the flavor is checked, add back the scrambled eggs and stir till evenly blended. Plate and top the fried rice with chilies in soy sauce or pickled chilies.
Adding additional sacha sauce was actually Mister's idea. He simply adores it. In fact, he often requests for sacha sauce at a local restaurant for fried rice takeout. You have to pay a tiny bit more for the additional sauce though. So this time around, I actually bumped up the amount of sacha sauce to fulfill his cravings. No extra charge required.
Mister seemed content after this meal.
Other fried rice recipes:
- Three cup chicken fried rice 三杯雞炒飯
- Spam fried rice with colorful veggies 午餐肉炒飯
- Bitter tea oil fried rice 苦茶油炒飯
