Fried Rice for little tots

If there is one food that can never, ever be considered as “Epic Fail” to cater to little toddlers’ picky taste buds, I reckon it has got to be the humble Nasi Goreng, otherwise, fondly known as Fried Rice.

A toddler's plate of fried rice with steamed salmon

I have heard from several other parents too that if all else fails for their kids, fried rice usually will come to their rescue. And, I know from experience that when Spud gets difficult with food, a plate of fried rice would often do the trick to get Spud to eat.

Spud loves her fried rice, and it has become one of her favourite staples; even Squirt has shown his liking for fried rice! Contrary to the belief, fried rice can actually be quite healthy. It is easy to make and the best part about it is that you can sneak in all sorts of vegetables in there without it being glaringly conspicuous to the kids to minimize the potential rejection of vegetables that they see in their food.

This is how I make my Fried Rice for Spud.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cupful of rice, rinse in water then boil
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg (optional)
• Half a teaspoon turmeric powder (Optional)
• Salt to taste

This is when you can get creative to add to the base in case your child does not like vegetables:

• Spinach or bak choy or any green leafy vegetables – chopped finely or blend
• Carrots – diced small or
• Peas /Corn– blended or as is
• A sprig of spring onions – chopped finely

The dish is not complete without either one of these:

• A piece of chicken breast, minced or cubed small or
• 5-6 pieces of prawns, sliced or
• A handful of minced beef or
• Palm-sized salmon or mackerel, cut small or
• Fish balls or cuttlefish balls, sliced

[there is always room to mix the above depending on how you like it]

Method:

1. Boil rice and set aside
2. Blend garlic and onion together, set aside
3. Heat up oil. When oil is hot enough, add in the blended garlic and onion. Fry for about 2 minutes till it turned a little brown
4. Add in the chopped/blended vegetables. Stir fry for another 5 minutes or until cooked (especially cubed carrots which will take a longer time to cook)
5. Add in the meat and fry till all is mixed and cooked well.
6. Crack an egg, stir in together then add salt to taste
7. Lastly add in the rice and spring onions and mix well
8. Ready to be served or frozen in batches for future meals!

It really is a fuss-free dish. Feel free to also use left-overs to whip up this yummy dish and I hope this recipe comes in handy for your little picky eaters.

Squirt enjoying his small bowl of fried rice at 13.5 months (and he's only got 2 bottom teeth!)