I’ve already made it clear why I love fried rice so much before, so if you haven’t read that you can check it out here (and be marveled by my hilariously simple photography). But I want to add another point to that: it’s like a fridge mystery box challenge and you get to use whatever leftovers you have inn your fridge. As a part time food blogger, I get to make a variety of dishes and for that reason I never make anything in bulk. The advantage is that I can make many things at a time in smaller batches. But it also means that I haven’t fully used the ingredients/ produce I bought them for. That small piece of cabbage, that packet of basil that’ll go bad soon, some leftover eggs I bought for baking; what about all it? I have to use it up somewhere! I need to clear out my fridge for a new batch of leftovers!

Last night's rice is today's breakfast. Delicious!

That’s where the fried rice comes in. It’s a great backup because I know I’ll always find a way to adjust the leftover ingredients into it. So technically it’s a mystery box with a known outcome, which is not the point of the challenge, but anyways. When I made fried rice this time, I didn’t have any eggs but I did have some leftover cabbage and basil. However, to avoid making the same dish again with different vegetables, I decided to change the fried rice flavouring by using some tamarind instead of complete soy sauce, which did give it an interesting tanginess. I also made this version a bit more spicy by using some Tabasco sauce. So there: my new take on fried rice!

King (/ Queen) of Leftovers

Serves one:

• 1/2 cup rice (alternatively, I encourage you to use leftover rice, since it won’t have any moisture)
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Some grated ginger
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• A little less than half cup each chopped carrots and red bell peppers
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
• Tabasco sauce
• Oil
• Salt
• Basil leaves, for garnish

In a pot with boiling water, add ghee and salt and boil the rice till its just cooked (or just used leftover cooked rice). In a separate pan, heat some oil. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic starts to take on a little bit of colour. Add the carrots and cook, followed by the cabbage and red peppers after about two minutes. Season with salt, soy sauce and tamarind paste. Add some water if the sauce becomes too thick. Add in the cooked rice and fold in all the vegetables. Adjust any seasoning, if required. Add a little bit of Tabasco to your taste and mix. Finally, garnish with some chopped basil leaves. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for about 5 minutes before serving hot!

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