Recipe | Instapot Fried Rice

Servings: This recipe makes enough for 4 hungry adults. I've doubled this recipe and it still fits in my 6 qt Instapot.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups jasmine rice
1.5 cups water
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp better than bouillon chicken
5 carrots, peeled then cut evenly into bite size pieces
1-2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, diced
4 eggs, scrambled
1 small bag peas, thawed
4 scallions, sliced
sesame seeds

Tools:

Instapot (IP)
cutting board
sharp knife
measuring tools
cast iron skillet
spatula or mixing tool
2 bowls, for cracking/scrambling eggs & for temporarily holding your chicken/egg mixture

Instructions:

Remove the metal Instapot (IP) bowl from device and add measured rice. Rinse under cold running water three times, draining after each time. After last rinsing, drain as much water off as you can. Add metal IP bowl back to device and plug in. Add water, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, better than bouillon chicken, carrots. Stir to combine. Securely place your IP lid with valve in sealing position. Cook on manual for 5 minutes.

~If you're new to IP cooking, it takes time to come up to pressure before the timer begins. This is why I start the rice first.~

Now we will cook the chicken and eggs. Heat your cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add oil, chicken and onion. Sauté until done, usually about 5-10 mins. Remove to bowl including any juices. Add another drizzle of oil, turn heat down to medium low and scramble the eggs. Remove those to the bowl with chicken. Turn off heat and add thawed peas to skillet to warm them.

Once your IP is done cooking, carefully release pressure and open the lid. Caution: hot steam! Fluff the rice with your mixing tool then add the rest of your ingredients - chicken, onion, eggs, peas. Stir to combine. Enjoy immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil, sesame seeds, and scallions.

Tips:

Rinsing the rice three times has become my preference when making this dish. It creates a rice that is fully cooked yet firm without being too gooey. Cooking the rice with added seasonings rather than only water gives the rice more flavor.

You can substitute olive oil for other oils or fats. Sometimes I use butter, coconut oil or lard. Just whatever I have on hand.

I don't like to, but you can definitely sauté your chicken/onion mixture and also scramble your eggs in the IP on the sauté setting. If you'd rather do this, then sauté before cooking the rice. Due to the concave nature of the bottom of the metal IP bowl, I find things do not sauté properly. Besides, its hard to use anything but a very well seasoned cast iron. Am I right or am I right? But if the IP is all you have, then by all means, you can still make this dish.

This dish pairs well with homemade kimchi :)