Mango Fried Rice

This recipe is from Post Punk Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unroasted cashews (if using roasted cashews, skip toasting them)
• 6 oz green beans (about 1 1/2 cups), ends removed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced medium
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 cups cold jasmine rice (buy or prepare frozen)
• 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (tamari is gluten free, soy sauce is not)
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
• 1 tomato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 mangos, peeled, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 15 basil leaves, chiffonade (that means rolled up and thinly sliced, but you can just chop it, too)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    To serve:

• Extra Sriracha
• Fresh cilantro (optional)

 

Toasting the cashews
Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Toss in the cashews and dry toast them for about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally. They should be slightly browned in some spots, but it’s okay if they’re unevenly browned, you don’t have to be too precise about it. Transfer cashews to a large plate.

Cooking the green beans
Turn the heat on the pan up to medium-high. Add the green beans, a scant tablespoon of oil and a dash of salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the beans are bright green and seared. Transfer beans to the same plate as the cashews.

Onions, garlic, ginger, coriander and red pepper flakes
Add the onions to the pan along with another tablespoon of oil and a dash of salt. Toss for about 3 minutes, until onions are slightly charred but still firm. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander and red pepper flakes, and toss for 30 seconds are so, being careful not to burn.

Add the rice
Add another tablespoon of oil and about half of the cold rice. Toss to coat, then add in the remaining rice, tossing once again. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing often, until warmed through.

Add sauce and tomato
Add the tamari, hot sauce and tomato, and toss. Cook for another 3 minutes, until the rice has browned sufficiently and the tomato is slightly broken down.

Incorporate beans and cashews + add mangoes, basil and lime juice
Add the string beans and cashews, mangoes, basil leaves and lime juice. Cook just until mangoes are heated through and basil is wilted, a minute or two. Taste for salt (don’t add more tamari, just add salt if it needs it) and serve, garnished with cilantro if you like, and with a bottle of Sriracha close by.

My Variations

• green beans: I forgot to buy the green beans so I added frozen white corn which I had on hand instead.
• rice: I did not read the recipe carefully enough and my rice was far from frozen. In fact, it was steaming hot because as soon as I made it, I dumped it in the mix. However, it still tasted pretty good and wasn't too sticky like the recipe forewarned.
• oil: I just used vegetable oil because it's what I had on hand and I used a lot less than they called for. I don't think it made that big of a difference.
• spices: I excluded the red pepper flakes and the Sriracha hot sauce since we don't really like spicy food.
• cilantro: I did not add the optional cilantro and I never will in any of the recipes I make because for some reason, I just really don't like how it tastes.