If you are a true food lover you have probably heard of Peruvian rice or Chaufa already, but if this sounds quite new to you, this article is for you.
Arroz chaufa is a Peruvian fried rice dish inspired by Cantonese chǎofàn recipes for cooking rice. This gastronomy tradition was introduced to the Peruvians by Chinese immigrants and in no time, it became a staple dish in this culture. Peruvian’s version of fried rice is made with pre cooked white rice, green and red onions, garlic, red bell peppers, scrambled eggs, soy sauce, chicken, sesame oil, ginger and cumin.
As you can see, these are all ingredients that many people already have in their fridge and their pantry. It is really easy to ensemble and to make, really cheap and it will save you when you have no idea what to make at home.
Today, we encourage you to include a Peruvian dish in your weekly meals and make them even more enjoyable!
Arroz Chaufa recipe
To make this quick and easy recipe you will need the following ingredients:
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- 2 ½ cups of cooked white rice.
- 2 chicken thighs.
- ½ cup of diced onions.
- 5 eggs.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- 1 whole diced red peppers.
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions.
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- Olive oil to taste.
- ⅛ cups of soy sauce.
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- 1 pinch of cumin.
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger.
- 1 pinch of sugar.
How to make it
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- It is paramount, before starting any recipe, you organize all the ingredients beforehand. Make sure you have leftover rice or cooked rice in the fridge, your vegetables chopped and minced, the chicken thighs and all the ingredients that you need for the sauce ready. This will save you time and will allow you to focus on the step-by-step of this recipe instead of having to do many things at the same time.
- Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add your onions and bell peppers and cook them for about five to six minutes (they should be translucent and slightly brown in color). Before the vegetables are done, add the ginger and green onions. Sauteé for a minute and remove the vegetables from the skillet.
- Now is the time to cook the chicken thighs. Seal them on both sides and lower the heat to medium; the remaining flavors on the skillet will help your chicken thighs to have an extra touch which will make a great end product. When the chicken is golden brown on each side, add some water to the bottom of the skillet and put the lid on. Let the chicken thighs cook thoroughly, for about eight minutes.
- After the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and let it rest while you ensemble the rest of the dish.
- While the chicken is resting, it is time to prep the sauce in a separate container: add soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, cumin, ground ginger and sesame oil. Whisk and mix together to combine and set aside.
- Dice the cooked chicken, and in a separate bowl scramble five eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste but remember that we are using a sauce with soy sauce which will add enough saltiness to our meal.
- Turn the heat up and return the vegetables to the skillet together with the diced chicken and cooked rice. Add the sauce and then the eggs. Cook until the eggs are done.
Now you have your delicious arroz chaufa ready to enjoy with whomever you want and make the best out of your meal!
Some extra tips
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- Be sure you use leftover rice. This will help you achieve a better final result than using hot rice, which might end up mushy and ruin the texture of your dish.
- If you don’t eat meat, try adding fried tofu or any protein you like such as crispy chickpeas. They not only provide a good source of protein but will also add an extra crunch to this rice recipe.
- If you do eat meat, try replacing the chicken with meat sausages. This is another variant if you happen to have sausages instead of chicken in your fridge. Note that you can make this with almost anything you wish and have at hand.
- For more Arroz Chaufa recipes, follow this link carolinarice.com/recipes/arroz-chaufa/ and get some extra ideas!
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