Cold rice, a hot pan and a little preparation are the keys to fried rice with separate grains. This version combines softly scrambled egg with peas, carrot and sweetcorn for a quick meat-free meal. The 30-minute timing assumes you already have safely cooked and chilled rice ready to use.
Photo by Christopher Alvarenga / Unsplash. Photo license. Serving suggestion; presentation may vary.
TOPSIMPLERECIPES RECIPE CARD
Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 600 g cooked long-grain rice, thoroughly chilled, cooked no more than 24 hours earlier
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 1 small onion, about 100 g, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, about 100 g, cut into small dice
- 100 g frozen peas
- 80 g frozen sweetcorn
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Preparation
- Before heating the pan, break up clumps of cold rice with clean fingers or a fork. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Measure the vegetables and sauces so everything is ready; do not leave chilled rice standing out while preparing other food.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the neutral oil in a large wok or wide nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and scramble for 1–2 minutes until just set. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Add the remaining neutral oil to the pan. Add onion and carrot and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, until the carrot is almost tender. Add peas, corn and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat, add the rice and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, pressing apart clumps and turning the grains frequently. If your pan is small, divide the rice and vegetables into two batches to prevent steaming.
- Add soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper, then return the egg to the pan. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until all the rice is steaming hot throughout and the egg is fully heated. Stir through spring onions.
- Serve immediately in four bowls. Do not keep this dish lukewarm or reheat it a second time.
Start with safely chilled rice
Rice needs careful cooling because bacterial spores can survive cooking. Cool freshly cooked rice as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour, using shallow containers, then refrigerate. Use refrigerated rice within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Never use rice that has sat at room temperature for hours.
A hot pan without overcrowding
The rice should touch the hot cooking surface rather than sit in a deep, damp pile. A large skillet works well when a wok is unavailable. If the grains begin to stick, loosen them with a spatula and adjust the heat rather than pouring in water, which softens the rice.
Simple adjustments
Tamari can replace soy sauce when a gluten-free option is needed, but check every label. For a more pronounced sesame flavor, add the sesame oil at the very end. Taste before adding salt because soy sauce already supplies plenty. Keep the vegetable pieces small so they cook within the stated time.
Serving and leftovers
For a fresh side, serve with parsley and mint tabbouleh. Cook only the amount of fried rice you plan to eat: this recipe reheats previously cooked rice, so do not refrigerate it for another reheating. The photograph illustrates vegetable fried rice; the exact distribution of egg and vegetables will vary.