A quick and easy Indo-Chinese vegetable fried rice is my go-to meal when I want to perk up my left-over rice and serve something easy yet delicious!
This vegetable fried rice is kind of staple in our home. I make it at least once a week as it makes an easy option of take-away lunch too. Since this vegetable fried rice had become such a regular recipe for me, I didn’t bother to give it a place here; but suddenly it struck me that this is the place for everyday recipes only; so why not! However you may object that vegetable fried rice is not an ‘Indian’ recipe; but I beg to differ! Vegetable fried rice has penetrated Indian cuisine so deeply that it has established its permanent position for good and that too with all the glory!
Before talking about my version of easy vegetable fried rice, let me place a disclaimer here. I strongly believe that there is no authentic/traditional recipe of vegetable fried rice. Every household might have their own secret recipe which would definitely be gem in itself. Today I am sharing mine which I am sure would delight everyone and is easy to pull together.
This vegetable fried rice can be termed as Indo-Chinese fried rice to give it a proper essence. But I try not to go overboard with authentic & not-so-easy-to-find Chinese ingredients in this recipe and generally keep my seasonings simple, especially in rice so that it does not overpower the side dish I am serving it with. In my vegetable fried rice, it’s only soy sauce for depth of flavor and white vinegar for the tanginess with strong dominance of garlic on top of all. This combination has worked best for me after quite a few of experiments and now I stick only to this. Trust me, you will thank me for it!
This easy & simple recipe of vegetable fried rice can be pepped up to make various other versions, e.g. you can add half a cup of Schezwan sauce along with soy sauce and vinegar to make a spicy Schezwan fried rice or you can throw in some sautéed shrimps to enjoy a seafood fried rice along with veggies. Also you can check out my special chicken fried rice with video @FlavorQuotient!
Well, that was all I had for the day and it’s time for me to sign off! Will see you very soon with another delicious recipe!
- Cooked rice – 4 cups, preferably chilled but if not, at least room temperature and never hot
- Ginger – 1-inch piece, finely chopped
- Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves, finely chopped
- Green chilli – 3 to 4, slit into 2 parts
- Dry red chili – 4, broken
- Carrot – 2, medium, finely chopped
- Green beans – 10 to 12, cut into 1 cm pieces
- Green peas – ½ cup, fresh or frozen
- Red bell pepper – 1, small or ½, medium
- Yellow bell pepper – 1, small or ½, medium
- Green onion/scallion – 4 to 5, chopped and green & white parts separated
- Light soy sauce – 1 tbsp
- White vinegar – 1 tbsp
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil – 4 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Heat a wok and add vegetable oil to it. Bring the oil to smoking hot.
- Reduce the heat to medium and temper the oil with dry red chili; saute for few seconds.
- Then tip in chopped ginger, chopped garlic and green chili. Stir fry them on medium heat for about a minute.
- Next add the white part of chopped green onion and continue stir frying on high heat for couple of minutes more. You don’t need to turn the onions brown here; just need to make them soft and translucent.
- Next goes in the chopped carrots, green beans and green peas, if using fresh ones. If using frozen peas, add them at the very end.
- Stir fry the veggies for few seconds. Then keeping a lid ready in one hand, splash about ¼ cup of water into the wok and immediately cover the wok with the lid. This will trap the steam inside the wok and soften the vegetables quickly. Do not remove the lid for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, lift up the lid and continue stir-frying on high heat ensuring all the liquid is absorbed.
- Next goes the chopped bell peppers, both yellow and red and quickly stir them in with all other veggies.
- Next is the time to add all seasonings – soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Keep the heat on medium while adding these. Quickly give a stir.
- Finally add the cooked rice. I suggest to add the rice 1 cup at a time; mix the first installment and then add the next; this will ensure even distribution of veggies and thorough mixing of seasonings. Keep the heat on medium high while stir-frying the rice. Also add the green peas at this point if using frozen.
- Finally sprinkle the green part of chopped scallions. Give a final mix and serve the warm vegetable fried rice with your favorite side. Enjoy!
कला श्री says
yummy,
love it.
thanks for sharing with us.