Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Prep Time : 15 mins
Cook Time : 30 mins
Total Time : 45 mins
 

Ingredients

For cooking rice

  • 1 cup basmati rice or long grained rice – 190 to 200 grams
  • 4 to 4.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
  • 2 to 3 drops toasted sesame oil or any neutral oil

Other ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oil – any neutral flavored oil
  • 1 star anise
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 3 to 4 small to medium garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger or ½ inch ginger – optional
  • ¼ cup chopped spring onion whites (scallions)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped french beans
  • ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
  • ¼ to ½ cup finely chopped cabbage – optional
  • ¼ cup chopped bell pepper or capsicum – red, green or yellow
  • 1 cup chopped button mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery – skip if you do not have
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (naturally brewed) or tamari – can add as required
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine or rice vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or add as required
  • 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions greens
  • salt as required
 

Instructions

Cooking rice

  • Rinse rice very well till the water runs clear of starch. Soak rice in water for 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
  • In a pot, bring water to a gentle boil with salt and 2 to 3 drops of toasted sesame oil.
  • Add the soaked and drained rice to the hot water.
  • On a low to medium to medium-high heat simmer rice without the lid.
  • When rice becomes al dente or just about cooked, remove the pot from the heat. Strain the rice in a colander or sieve.
  • You can also gently rinse cooked rice in water so that they stop cooking and don’t stick to each other. Cover the cooked rice and set aside until the rice cools completely. You can even refrigerate rice with a covered lid for 30 minutes.

Chopping veggies

  • When the cooked rice is cooling, chop the veggies finely and keep aside. 
  • Remember to chop the french beans very finely. They take more time to cook than other veggies. You can also blanch them first and then cook. Another option is to add the beans first and then add the other vegetables.

Making fried rice

  • Heat oil in a wok or a pan. First add the star anise and fry for a few seconds or until the oil becomes fragrant.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and sauté for some seconds. No need to brown the garlic.
  • Add the spring onions whites and sauté for about 2 minutes.
  • Then add finely chopped french beans.
  • Stir fry french beans for 2 to 3 minutes over medium to medium-high heat.
  • Add the remaining finely chopped veggies, including mushrooms and celery. Increase the heat to a high to thoroughly cook all of the vegetables.
  • You have to continuously toss and stir while frying so that the veggies are uniformly cooked and do not get burnt.
  • The vegetables have to be stir-fried, until they are almost cooked and yet retain their crunchiness and crispiness. Stir-frying vegetables on high heat takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir quickly and add cooked and cooled rice. Stir fry for a few minutes until the sauce has coated the rice well. Keep a check when adding salt, as soy sauce already has salt in it.
  • Serve the fried rice hot as it is or with with your favorite Chinese side.

Serving suggestions

  • Though fried rice tastes great on its own, you can pair it with Veg Manchurian, Gobi Manchurian, Chilli Paneer, Spring Rolls or Chilli Mushroom. More side recipes for veg fried rice are linked and listed in the main post.

Storing fried rice

  • Vegetable fried rice stays good for a couple of a days. But I would recommend it to be eaten as soon as you can since many days old rice is not good for health. 

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