Curry Rice and Sweet & Sour Stir Fry

Teachers and children weep, while parents rejoice that school is back in session. I have dabbled in the teaching profession off and on over the years. So when I don't work in a school I feel like I am playing hooky. I feel mostly relieved, actually, not to be involved anymore. Now my year doesn't revolve around school holidays. Traveling is easier and much cheaper when school is in session. While having lunch with my best friend, who, by the way, created the above floral arrangement, we both dicided to make curry rice for dinner. Both our families loved it. I will follow up with how she did hers in the future. Here is my recipe.

Fried Curry Rice

1 cup Jasmine rice

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup raw slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon yellow curry spice

1/2 teaspoon red curry spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup coconut milk


Make rice on stove or in rice cooker according to package directions. When rice is cooked, heat skillet and add oil. Fry the almonds a few minutes, then add spices and continue cooking for another minute or two, careful not to burn, stirring constantly. Add the cranberries and coconut milk. Stir until it is mixed well, then turn off the heat. Combine this mixture to your cooked rice, serve immediately.


I made a fresh salad to go with, while my husband cooked some freezer ready chicken to go on his plate. Marriage is about compromise, right? We both enjoyed the nutty curried rice very much. Yes, you can easily substitute golden or regular raisins for the cranberries. Super easy to do. There was so much left over, because I made a double recipe, that my brother ran with it tonight, and made a lovely sweet and sour stir fry to go with. This paired so well that I asked him if I could share his recipe too:


Sweet & Sour Stir Fry

3 tablespoons oil

1 large carrots, sliced thinly

2 onions chopped

3 bell peppers any and all colors chopped

1/2 a cauliflower or 3 stems broccoli chopped

(Or what ever feature veggie you want-eggplant-zucchini?)

1/2 cup plum jam or preserves

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce ( Mae Ploy brand was used tonight)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons corn starch


Whisk together the sauce first and set aside. In a bowl, mix together plum jam, chili sauce, vinegar, and spices. In a small cup, whisk or beat the corn starch into cold water before combining it to the plum jam mixture.


In a heated wok or heavy large skillet, pour oil in pan, continue heating for a minute. Add carrots for 2 minutes. Throw in chopped onions continue frying one minute. Add the cauliflower or what ever main vegetable you decided on, continue stirring another minute. Lastly add the bell peppers and cook for another minute or so. Never over cook your stir fry. The veggies should be crisp yet hot and half way tender. Add the sweet and sour sauce heating until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately. The picture was from the first night's dinner.