Chicken fried rice

• 300gBasmati rice
• 500gChicken thigh fillets
• 4 tbspSoy sauce
• 3Eggs
• 1Carrot
• 6Spring onions
• 2 clovesGarlic, grated
• 15gFresh ginger, grated
• 150gFrozen peas
• 3 tbspVegetable oil
• 1 tspToasted sesame oil

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the rice and put it in a pan with 450ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes, then leave off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes.

   20 min, mostly hands-off

2. 2

   Fork it through and spread it thinly on a tray to cool and steam dry. Dry rice fries; wet rice turns to mush.

   15 min, mostly hands-off

3. 3

   Meanwhile, cut the chicken into small pieces and toss with 1 tbsp of the soy sauce. Finely dice the carrot, slice the spring onions, keeping the green tops separate, grate the garlic and ginger, and beat the eggs.

4. 4

   Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Stir-fry the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden and cooked through with no pink in the middle. Tip onto a plate.

5. 5

   Add another 1 tbsp of oil and pour in the eggs. Stir gently until just set in soft pieces, then tip them out with the chicken.

6. 6

   Add the rest of the oil, then the carrot, spring onion whites, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and frozen peas and stir-fry for 5 minutes, pressing the rice against the hot pan, until piping hot and toasted in places.

7. 7

   Return the chicken and egg, add the rest of the soy sauce and the sesame oil and toss well. Scatter with the spring onion greens.