How to Make Chinese Fried Wheat

Well even after all these years, I can still be surprised by some of the ways to cook wheat.  Most people have no idea how to cook wheat other than, use it for a breakfast cereal, or making bread.  You can use wheat berries in a lot of dishes and one I just found is Chinese Fried Wheat.  I found this recipe in a little booklet we got from the LDS Home Storage Center on our trip the other day.

This recipe sounds pretty good so I thought I would pass this along to you.  This is a way to use your wheat berries as a substitute for rice.  Fried rice with Chinese food is always great, but when you are out of rice here is another option.

Chinese Fried Wheat

• 2 cups cracked wheat, (cracked wheat is wheat berries that have been ran through a coarse grinder to just crack the shell, strain out flour before cooking)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 tbs. soy sauce or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• Bacon or Ham or whatever
• Peas, carrots or whatever if you have them

Bring the wheat, water and salt to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.  Put in a strainer and drain off the liquid (save the liquid for gravy).  Wash the wheat with cold water to make it fluffy.  Press the wheat to remove as much moisture as possible.  Set the wheat aside.  Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a heavy skillet.  Slowly add the beaten egg, stirring rapidly with a fork so the egg is light and fluffily.  Set the egg aside.  Add to skillet 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, minced onion and celery and cook until tender.  Then add wheat, soy sauce, bacon or ham, and the egg.  Heat through and serve the Chinese Fried Wheat with extra soy sauce, if desired.

You can use the left over liquid from the Chinese Fried Wheat to make a nice gravy.

• 2 tbs. vegetable oil or drippings
• 1 cup liquid (use the liquid drained from the wheat.
• 2 tbs. flour

Heat vegetables oil or drippings: stir in flour.  Remove from heat and stir in the liquid.  Cook over medium heat until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Season to taste makes 1 cup.

Preparedness Mom