More on Veg Fried Rice
And although Chinese fried rice is a healthy option, it is loaded with lots of exciting flavors. Salty, umami, and savory soy sauce is balanced with spiced star anise, and raw scallions add a great pop of freshness you’ll love. Otherwise, I’ve kept the ingredients list rather basic to allow each element to shine – the veggies really are the star here! Fried rice with mixed veggies can be enjoyed by itself for a satisfying lunch, but it does go great with rich, saucy main dishes. This recipe rivals even the best take out options, and I’m sure you will enjoy making it often as part of your Indo-Chinese meals. Stir-frying at high heat in a cast-iron skillet or wok imparts a bit of smoky flavor and aroma. Though a stovetop in your home kitchen, cannot compete with the heat and temperature of the stovetops in Chinese restaurants, you can still make a great homemade fried rice. I do not add Ajinomoto, but you can include it if you are comfortable with it. The umami, smoky flavors in my fried rice recipe come from stir-frying at high heat and adding mushrooms, toasted sesame oil to the dish. Generally in restaurants, soy sauce is not added to fried rice, but I like to add for an umami flavor. Feel free to skip soy sauce if you do not prefer it.
How to make Veg Fried Rice
Prep and Cook Rice
- A great vegetable fried rice recipe begins with well-cooked white rice. To do so, first, soak 1 cup of basmati rice (190 to 200 grams) in water for 30 mins. Then drain and set rice aside. Tip: You can opt for a good quality aged long-grained rice if you do not have Basmati rice. Jasmine rice will also work in a pinch.
- In a large pot add 4 to 4.5 cups of water, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 to 3 drops of toasted sesame oil (or any cooking oil), and set over high heat on the stovetop.
- Let the water reach a full boil.
- Add the soaked and drained basmati rice.
- Simmer the rice uncovered on medium to medium-high heat.
- Cook rice until al dente, or just about cooked. It’s important that you do not overcook rice during this step in order to make the best Chinese fried rice dish. Overcooking rice or even cooking them completely, will break the rice grains while stir-frying.
- Quickly strain rice in a colander, and let it cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerating rice for 30 minutes also helps. Simply cover cooked rice and refrigerate.
- You can also rinse the rice with water so that the rice stops cooking. Use your hands to gently stir the cooked rice grains around while rinsing to ensure that every grain is cooled. Then drain thoroughly.
- Cover cooked rice and set aside to cool.
Prep Vegetables
- While rice is cooling, finely chop the veggies. Because french beans tend to be tougher than the other mixed vegetables, I recommend chopping them very finely. You also have the option to blanch them first before adding, or you can begin cooking them in this recipe before the rest of the vegetables are added. For my favorite version of fried rice recipe you’ll need ¼ cup of each of the following ingredients, finely chopped:
spring white onions (scallions) (not in the image below) carrots french beans capsicum (bell peppers, your choice of color – green, red or yellow)
Plus about 1 cup of chopped button mushrooms for great earthy, umami flavor. I also like to include 1 tablespoon of finely chopped celery for the most authentic Chinese-inspired dish. Include ¼ to ½ cup of chopped cabbage if you have them.
Stir Fry Veggies
- Now it’s time to stir-fry the vegetables. Start by heating 3 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil in a wok or a deep skillet. Add 1 whole star anise and fry for a few seconds, until the oil becomes fragrant. If you do not have star anise, simply skip adding it and move to step 12. Tip: Use a good, trusted, heavy pan, skillet, or wok for stir-frying so that the tender fresh veggies do not get stuck or burn when frying at medium to high heat. Use oil having neutral taste and flavors.
- Then add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic, and ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger. Cook for only a moment as you don’t want to brown or burn the garlic.
13. Add the chopped spring onions, and sauté for a minute or two on medium-low to medium heat. 14. Then add the finely chopped french beans – or, add these before the onions if you want a softer bean texture. - Continue to stir-fry both the onions and french beans for 2 to 3 minutes over medium to medium-high heat.
- Now add the remaining finely chopped veggies, including mushrooms and celery. Increase the heat to high to thoroughly cook all of the ingredients.
- Continuously toss and stir while frying so that the veggies are uniformly cooked and do not get burnt – for about 4 to 6 minutes. You want the vegetables to be cooked and fried but still retain some great crunch.
Add Seasonings
18. Once the veggies have cooked, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir and mix well.
Tip: You can add less (1 to 2 teaspoons) or more (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) soy sauce if you prefer that. I recommend going for naturally brewed soy sauce or tamari.
Note: If you do not like or prefer soy sauce, then omit it adding to the dish.
19. Taste the dish, and then add ½ a teaspoon of ground black pepper and as much salt as you like.
The Chinese fried rice will already be slightly salty because of the soy sauce, so not much additional salt should be needed.
20. Mix well to combine the flavors.
Make Veg Fried Rice
21. You are now ready to put everything together to make the veg fried rice. To the wok or skillet of veggies add the cooked and cooled rice – 1 cup or so at a time. 22. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high. Use a spoon or spatula to gently fold cooked rice into the mixed vegetables. 23. With the heat still on medium to medium-high, continue to gently mix and fry the vegetables with rice for a couple of minutes. 24. You now have the option to stir in 1 tablespoon of rice wine or rice vinegar (or other mild vinegar), if you like. This adds a terrific note of sourness to the fried rice that isn’t necessary but is quite lovely. 25. Lastly, add more fresh chopped spring onions. You can either sprinkle on top as a garnish or mix into the fried rice to incorporate. 26. Serve Veg Fried Rice hot by itself for a light yet hearty meal, or enjoy it as a side dish along with your other favorite Chinese recipes.
How long can fried rice stay in fridge?
It stays good for about a day in the fridge. But I would recommend it to be eaten as soon as you make it – a few days old rice is not good for health.
How to reheat vegetable fried rice?
I usually steam them in my Instant-pot for 5 minutes. Sometimes I also stir-fry them in a skillet sprinkling a few splashes of water, so that the rice grains do not dry out.
What goes with veg fried rice?
Though fried rice tastes great on its own, listed below are some sides that pair greatly with vegetable fried rice (these are also my favorites).
Expert Tips
Cooking rice: Don’t overcook the rice. When first boiling the rice you want to cook the grains so that they’re al dente. Be sure to always drain and completely cool cooked rice before adding it to the stir fry. Wet and/or hot rice will not stir-fry properly, and will wind up soggy in your veg fried rice. Protein: For protein, include tofu, seitan, tempeh or for a vegetarian option, add paneer Veggies: Use your favorite veggies. I like the carrots, beans, and mushrooms used in this chinese fried rice recipe. However, you can add your preferred choice and quantity of vegetables to your version of fried rice recipe. Mushrooms: Swap button mushrooms for cremini or shiitake mushrooms. If you do not have mushrooms, then simply do not add them. Flavors and seasonings: Add a bit of tomato ketchup for a slightly sweet flavor. To make spicy fried rice, add some red chili sauce or green chili sauce along with the soy sauce. Celery: I recommend not to skip celery! Finely diced celery adds great texture and taste to this Chinese-inspired recipe. While you certainly can skip adding if you don’t have it available, I highly recommend that you do include it if you are able to.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Manchurian Gravy | Veg Manchurian Gravy Gobi Manchurian (Dry and Gravy) Chilli Mushroom (Stovetop & Instant Pot) Thai Red Curry Recipe (Vegetarian) This Veg Fried Rice recipe from the archives first published in August 2013 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
