Using up a little leftover rice isn’t such a big deal: add half a cup to soup or chili, or use it to bulk up a salad. It’s only when you have about three or four cups of rice in your fridge that you start to consider tossing it all out to reclaim space. But let’s not get too dramatic: there’s a simple and exciting way to use up a mountain of rice. Use your leftovers to make a crispy fried rice cake.
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I like this technique because you can make it with three cups of cooked rice and more. The more rice you have, the deeper the cake. This method takes some of the textural notes of many popular burnt rice dishes from around the world, like Persian tahdig or Korean nurungji, and adds the reward of a filled center, like Japanese onigiri. What you get is a round rice cake with savory fillings of your choice and a crispy exterior that goes well with any dipping sauce.
Cooled starches are hard and won't stick together or compact as you want, so reheat the rice. Place a teaspoon of water in a half-covered container and microwave for about a minute.
Grease a skillet generously with butter. If you have a lot of rice, you will need a wider pan. For less rice, use a smaller pan. Add half of the heated rice to the pan. Using a damp spatula, begin to press the rice into a disk in the shape of the pan. The moisture from a damp spatula will prevent the rice from sticking to the spatula. I do not recommend oil, as you want the rice to stick to the sides. Turn the burner to medium heat.
