Fried Rice Cheese Balls

I am so happy to announce that I have collaborated on a very special project about Thai Hol Mali Rice. I will be sharing my Thai Rice Menu with you over the next few months. This campaign is to raise awareness about local farmers that produce the highest quality rice. I really want to support this campaign and I would love for you to join me!

Today I will show you how to make easy rice and cheese balls using fragrant Thai rice, next month I will show you how to make Salmon Poke Rice Bowl, and lastly how to make creamy rice pudding with berries!  

The premium rice from Thailand is "THAI HOM MALI RICE. What I love about it is the aroma, soft texture, and great taste! It has also just won the title of the World's Best Rice 2020.  If you are not sure you are consuming good quality rice, look out for the green logo is to guarantee the authentic and premium quality of THAI HOM MALI rice.

Rice is really nutritious, full of fiber, calcium, and vitamins. It should be a big part of your diet and it is completely gluten-free! If you want to support this campaign and win a prize too, please follow the rules at the end of this post.

Ingredients

Rice Balls

• 1 small onion
• 15 gr olive oil
• 15 gr unsalted butter
• 160 gr Thai Jasmine Rice
• 800 gr hot chicken stock (can use vegetable stock also)
• Pinch of salt (to taste)
• 100 gr grated parmesan cheese
• 20 gr grated mozzarella cheese
• 120 gr mozzarella cheese cut into 12 cubes
• 30 gr green peas (optional)

Breadcrumb Coating

• 100 gr golden breadcrumbs
• 50 gr all-purpose plain flour
• 2 eggs
• Oil for frying vegetable, sunflower, canola, or grapeseed oil

Method

1. Take a deep or shallow pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add butter and oil inside the pan together with chopped onion. Cook onion on medium heat for 5-6 min or until soft and golden.
2. Then add rice and stir to coat with butter and oil.
3. Add chicken stock inside, mix through, then add pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat until liquid has been absorbed by the rice (about 15-17 min). Stir in the peas in, then cover with a tight fitting lid and finish cooking (2 min). Rice should be soft and the liquid mostly absorbed.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a large rimmed baking dish to cool.
5. Once rice has cooled down to room temperature, stir in  shredded parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Form rice balls with wet hands, using a heaping table spoon for each.
6. Stuff each rice ball with a cube of mozzarella cheese and form a tight ball with the rice mixture to enclose the cheese.
7. Set up 3 shallow trays, one with flour, one with breadcrumbs and a bowl with beaten eggs. Dredge each rice ball in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip one-by-one in the beaten egg allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Finally, roll balls in breadcrumbs until evenly coated. It's best to roll and bread all of the rice balls before beginning frying since the frying is quick.
8. Add vegetable or sunflower oil into a deep pot over medium heat. Once oil is hot, test it with small piece of rice, if it floats - the oil is ready.
9. Add the breaded rice balls in batches without crowding the pot and cook about 3 min total per batch, turning to get all sides golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to soak up any excess oil and serve straight away. I like them hot and cheese, but they also taste great when cold.