It has been such a hectic week. I'm in no mood to cook anything prep-intensive or go ingredient hunting. A quick rummage through my pantry & fridge and I've decided to make luncheon meat fried rice! It's so easy to prepare that even new cooks can dance like this while preparing this dish:
Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. hah
I prefer to use Korean luncheon meat as I find it less salty and greasy than SPAM.
Not sure if this recipe will be Uncle Roger approved as I skipped the MSG - processed meat already has enough MSG to flavour the rice. So please watch the salt when cooking this...you've been warned!
Luncheon Meat Fried Rice
*Optional to serve with a fried egg, pan-fried luncheon meat and bonito flakes.
Difficulty: ⭐⭐
Serves: 3-4 pax
Cook & Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups overnight rice
1 can luncheon meat
1 cup sweet corn (alternatively use mixed vegetable)
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks spring onion
4 eggs
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)
Salt & pepper to taste
Cooking Directions : 1. Mince the garlic cloves. Cut the spring onion and separate the firmer ends (to cook) and the tips (to garnish).
2. Dice half a can of luncheon meat - I prefer it in chunkier cubes. The remaining luncheon meat is sliced for pan-frying.
3. Mix the eggs and add a dash of pepper and a pinch of salt.
4. Heat wok over high heat with sesame oil. Stir fry garlic and spring onion until aromatic.
5. Add luncheon meat and cook until the edges of the meat start to brown.
6. Add eggs and stir to break them up. Add corn and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add rice and break up any big lumps with the spatula - be careful not to chop up your luncheon meat in the process! Season with sweet soy sauce and soy sauce. Stir well for 2-3 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: Once your fried rice is done, heat some oil to pan-fry the luncheon meat slices. It should take around 2 minutes on each side over medium heat. Then proceed to cook 2 fried eggs. Of course, I opted for my favourite sunny side up with runny yolks.
For the bonito flakes garnish, the bonito flakes were leftovers from my dashi recipe. I pan-toasted the bonito flakes over low heat and added a dash of soy sauce & a sprinkle of sugar. Turn off the heat once it turns crispy and mix with toasted sesame seeds before serving. I'll feature this recipe next time as I was not very precise with the seasoning ratio this time (my inner "agak-agak" instincts kicked in).
The luncheon meat gives the dish a ton of flavour....that's the magic of MSG! Paired with the crunch from the corn & scallions, creaminess from the fried egg and sweet-smokiness from the bonito flakes, it's a winning combo that surprisingly takes so little effort to prepare! Be sure to add this to your recipe list for busy or lazy days.
Till the next cook, stay safe & makan well!