Here’s an easy way to whip up dinner in 15 minutes, while also ensuring you eat your vegetables. This vegetable fried rice is one of my go-to recipes every other day and I can never get enough of it.
The best part about this recipe is its ease and highly customisable option. You can make a large batch and add eggs, chicken or more vegetables of your choice. This vegetable fried rice uses the most minimal ingredients and is as simple as it can get. The it’s beauty lies in the freshness of its ingredients.
How to make the perfect fried rice every time
Fried rice might be a simple dish but it requires a few things done right every single time. The best kind of vegetable fried rice are those where each grain of rice is separate and cooked to perfection. Nobody likes a soggy plate of fried rice, nor does one want half cooked rice bites in their spoon. Apart from that the way the vegetables are cooked also matter a lot! They cannot be soggy or raw – just the right amount of crunch.
Here are some of the tips you might want to follow to make that perfect fried rice every single time.
- Always use a wok for making fried rice because it helps is faster and uniform cooking.
- Make sure your wok is really hot before you add oil and other ingredients.
- Make sure the vegetables you add are chopped finely so that they can cook quickly.
- The rice that you add to any fried rice should always be cold. Otherwise, it will stick to the wok and become lumpy. It’s best to use a day old rice.
- If you add any protein like chicken or shrimp, cook them before you add the vegetables.
- Add the soy sauce and vinegar just before you remove the wok from the gas stove.
- Always garnish in the end after turning the gas off.
Cooking the perfect rice for frying
In this recipe, I have used joha rice, which is a flavourful small grained rice found in Assam, India. It is starchy and has a beautiful fragrant. You can use jasmine rice too. The quality of rice can really change the game. If you do not have jasmine rice, you can use any small grain rice available near you – broken basmati is a great choice!
For small grained rice, wash them thoroughly under runnign water till the water is clear. Once they are thoroughly washed, add them to a pan, instant pot or a pressure cooker. If you are using 1 cup rice, use 1.5 cups of water to cook it. And once cooked, keep the rice covered for 10-15 minutes after turning off the gas. Keep the rice in the fridge overnight, and use it the next day for making fried rice.
Why this vegetable fried rice?
- Delicious and super easy!
- Healthy and quick
- Better than takeout
- You need 15 minutes to make this
- Made with bare minimum pantry essentials.
- Highly customizable!
- Can be made in large batches.
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cook time – 15 minutes
Serves – 3
[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
- 30 ml vegetable/sesame oil
- 2 slit green chillies (optional, add it if you like spicy food)
- 100 g onions, finely chopped
- 15 g garlic, finely chopped
- 80 g carrots, chopped
- 80 g green beans, chopped
- 80 g fresh green peas
- Salt to taste
- 4 g black pepper powder
- 150 g cooked white rice
- 30 ml dark soy sauce
- Coriander/spring onion greens for garnish [/ingredients]
[directions title=”Directions”]
- Heat oil in a wok. Let it smoke.
- Temper the oil with slit green chillies (optional).
- Add the chopped onions and fry till it starts to brown and becomes translucent.
- Add the sliced garlic and saute till its rawness fades.
- Next, add the beans, carrots, and peas and saute for about a minute or two on medium flame. Do not overcook the vegetables as they need to remain crunchy.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the boiled and cold rice to the mixture. Mix well till the rice is heated through and everything gets mixed together perfectly.
- Pour in the soy sauce and mix well until every grain of the rice gets stained in the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh herbs – coriander or spring onion greens – whatever you have available!
- Serve with cucumbers and tomatoes on the side. [/directions]
I hope you try this version of vegetable fried rice! Super simple and easy. Please feel free to add more vegetables or any protein of your choice.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me with a comment or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook. For all my videos, you can subscribe to me on YouTube.
Related recipe – 30 Minute Stir Fry Noodles
Happy cooking!
