Thermomix 'Fried' Rice

This is a very easy, quick and healthy way to make a big batch of fried rice. It easily feeds our family of six, with leftovers. The rice, veges and egg are actually steamed - no oil is needed. You can use basmati rice and it will cook in about 20 minutes, or with brown rice it will cook in 35 minutes. And you don't have to stand there stirring! Thanks to my friend Nancy for teaching me this method years ago with bacon and veges - there's lots of possible variations, so be creative and make up your own versions too. You can use as much meat and veges as will fit in the Varoma - I've just given some suggestions, not definite amounts.

1. Place rice basket into Thermomix bowl, and weigh in:

- 400g of raw rice (or less if you want a smaller batch).

2. Remove basket, and pour into bowl:

- 400g coconut milk
- 500g water (for white or basmati rice) / 700g water (for brown rice)

3. Rinse rice under tap, then place basket back in bowl. Fasten lid onto bowl, place Varoma on top, and start cooking - Varoma temperature, 20 mins (white) or 35 mins (brown), speed 4.

4. While rice begins cooking, chop up meat and/or veges, placing it into the Varoma as you go.

(I do it this way, as it's quicker than preparing it all then starting the cooking. I put each ingredient in as it's prepared, replacing Varoma lid each time - meat, then hard veges, then quicker cooking veges - that way the hard and soft veges and the meat are all finished cooking at the same time.)

5.  Place the cubed meat in the bottom of the Varoma in a single layer, then top with the preferred veges:

- 100g - 200g of cubed chicken or fish and/or prawns (you can marinate it for a little while first in some soy sauce, curry powder, garlic, ginger, and honey, or whatever marinade you prefer)

  (or some chopped bacon, preferably organic)

- 1 sliced onion/shallots/leeks

- carrots, sliced or julienned

- celery, sliced

- kohlrabi, thin strips or julienned

- broccoli/cauliflower florets

- cabbage, shredded

- spinach/silverbeet, sliced

- frozen peas & corn

- cashews or slivered almonds (opt.)

6. Line the top Varoma tray with a piece of wet baking paper, and pour in:

- 4 to 5 eggs, whisked

Replace lid, and leave to steam.

7. Check meat, veges, egg and rice after 20 mins to make sure they're all cooked. (With basmati rice, it's generally cooked after about 17 minutes, but I just leave it for the full 20, and everything's usually done by then. With brown rice, just add the veges when there's only 15 minutes left to go, and add the eggs when there's 5 minutes left, and they should be done at the same time as the rice that way.)

8. Remove Varoma and place lid underneath.  Remove rice basket using spatula, and tip rice into Varoma bowl.  Add the meat and veges. Slice the egg up in tray (see photo) and tip into Varoma bowl with rice.  Season with some tamari sauce / soy sauce / sweet chilli sauce, mix together gently, and serve!

Slice egg in the tray and add to rice and veges.

Serve fried rice in the Varoma bowl with the lid underneath to catch any drips.