Remember, you absolutely cannot make delicious fried rice using freshly cooked rice! If you cook the rice yourself (a day to a week ahead), buy long-grain (Carolina) rice and follow the package directions for making drier rice.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 (3- to 4-oz) Spanish chorizo (spicy dried pork sausage) links, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
10-oz package frozen peas
1/3 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin and red pepper flakes, stirring, 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened. Add chorizo and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until sausage begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add rice, crumbling it, and salt. Sauté, stirring, until some grains begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add peas and sauté, stirring, just until peas are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin seeds and cilantro.
