This Cinnamon Fried Rice is full of savoury cinnamon and curry flavours. It also includes 4 different vegetables so it is a great way to up both the flavour and vegetable elements.
I think I got this recipe years ago from an Eating Well magazine. It used to be one of my favourite magazines. I was so disappointed when it was discontinued. There is an EatingWell digital magazine but I am not sure if it is the same one. There was quite a lag as I recall between the demise of the paper version and the emergence of the digital. In any case- I couldn't find this exact recipe on line anywhere although there are various versions of Cinnamon Rice or Cinnamon Fried Rice.
The ingredients give a nod toward Indian cuisine but when I got the recipe it was paired with this Ginger Chicken en Papillote which tend toward Asian fare. So... let's just call it a fusion meal! I also made a Super Simple Stir Fry to up the veggie quotient. They do go well together!
As with any fried rice recipe you will need to have rice cooked and cooled completely. It takes a couple of hours to cool thoroughly so you either need to start early in the day or - make the rice the day before! If you cook it the day before you get 2 bonuses- MAKE AHEAD! and RESISTANT STARCH.
Resistant Starch
The concept of resistant starch is getting quite a bit of attention theses days. The premise is that once the rice has cooled its structure changes and your body absorbs less starch from it but other micro nutrients are more readily absorbed.
Sri Lankan research results suggest that cooling down cooked rice (and pasta and potatoes!) changes the structure of the rice so it is less absorbable by the human body. You should cool it for 12 hours. Then, even if you reheat it the structure has already changed so it is still resistant starch. Resistant starch is not absorbed in the large intestine so it passes to the small intestine and acts as dietary fiber.
Cinnamon Rice
You are going to start by boiling cinnamon sticks in water to create a cinnamon broth. Then you will cook the rice in the broth with the sticks. Then comes the cooling part. If you are making it all the same day you will need to spread the rice out on a baking sheet to allow it to cool thoroughly.
Fried Rice
Once you have completely cooled rice you are going to add the traditional scrambled eggs but also curry powder, plenty of garlic, carrots, turnips and peas as well as soya sauce concoction. You will be happy to know this rice has so many healthy elements to it! Cinnamon is known to stabilize blood sugar, garlic to ward off vampires (!); curry is said to improve heart and bone health, relieve pain and inflammation. And you've got 4 different vegetables which non-veggies eaters probably won't even notice!
This rice hold well in the refrigerator for a couple of days and also freezes and reheats well. Enjoy!
Pin for later!
Cinnamon Fried Rice
If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!
Save Print Pin Facebook TextIngredients
Cinnamon Rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup long grain rice (ex. Jasmine or Texmati)
Fried Rice
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil divided 1 ½ + 1 ½ Tbsps
- 2 large eggs
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ Tbsps curry powder
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 small turnips peeled and diced
- 4 Tbsps rice wine (Mirin) or sub 2 Tbsps white wine + 2 Tbsps rice vinegar
- 2 tsps sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 Tbsps soya sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Cinnamon Rice
- Bring water to a boil with cinnamon sticks in it and simmer 30 minutes. Measure out 2 cups of water. Discard any remaining water. Return cinnamon water and stick to the pan.
- Rinse the rice for 3 minutes. Add rice to the cinnamon water and cook 20 minutes. Remove rice from the heat, fluff and let sit covered 15 minutes. Remove cover and allow to cool 1 hour. Spread rice out on a baking sheet to cool completely. Stir to separate rice kernels. Refrigerate at least one hour. (This can be done the day before and refrigerated).
Fried Rice
- Heat 1 ½ Tbsps vegetable oil in a large sauce pan. Scramble the eggs lightly. Add the leeks and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir for about 10 seconds till mixed in.
- Add the carrots and turnips to the egg/leek/garlic mixture. Combine the sugar and rice wine (or wine/vinegar mixture). Then add 2 Tbsps of the rice wine and ½ cup of water the vegetable mixture. Boil for about 8 minutes.
- Add the soya sauce, black pepper and frozen peas to the pan. Finally add the cold rice and mix in thoroughly. Heat through. This make take 7 or 8 minutes or more depending on the size of your pan.
Leave a Reply