Egg-Fried rice is always at the top of the list when ordering Chinese takeout. However, making egg-fried rice at home is easy, healthy, and comparatively inexpensive.
Everyone loves cooking Chinese food, especially stir-fries; they’re quick, easy, and flavour-packed. This egg-fried rice is one of my go-to last-minute meals—a perfect recipe to use leftover rice for a quick dinner or lunch.
Egg Chinese fried rice is the simplest fried rice, an ideal recipe to start with if you have never made fried rice before. Once you master the fundamentals, you’ll customise it to your liking. And remember, the essential thing while cooking any egg-fried rice is heat. So, make certain to keep the flame hot to get fluffy, smoke-infused Chinese fried rice similar to the restaurants.
WHY IS EGG FRIED RICE SO POPULAR?
There are plenty of fried rice recipes here, but egg fried rice won the first ranking on my list, and it is also extremely popular across the world. Almost every Chinese eatery delivers egg-fried rice as an extension to common steamed rice. There are many reasons to like egg-fried rice, but I have listed my top 4 reasons.
• It is basically delicious, even with the very basic ingredients: egg, salt, soy sauce, pepper, and green onions are everyday ingredients.
• It may be a lovely way of using leftover rice.
• It is extremely versatile and may be adjusted by adding some other vegetables.
• It is often made quickly and easily; within 5 minutes, a stunning egg-fried rice dish can be finished.
WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE EGG-FRIED RICE
This classic egg-fried rice recipe requires just some simple ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
Rice: refrigerated cooked rice. Choose long- or medium-grain white rice.
Sesame oil: everyone uses sesame oil for their fried rice. It gives the rice an exquisite sesame flavour. But if you favour it, you’ll use other oils. Some good oils for Chinese fried rice are peanut oil, oil, vegetable oil, and avocado oil. You’ll even use butter if you wish.
Eggs: Eggs add great texture, flavour, & protein to the fried rice;
Onion and garlic: essential flavour enhancers;
Veggies: I used finely chopped carrots and green beans. Additionally, also used scallions/green onions. Cabbage, corn, green peas, and
capsicum/bell peppers are some boundless options. Usually not too wet, faster-cooking vegetables are perfect for fried rice.
Soy sauce: light or regular soy. Use tamari instead if you’re on a gluten-free diet.
Asian red condiment: adds slight heat and a hint of sweetness. It’s available in any Asian grocery store, or you can also get it on Amazon here. For spicy Chinese fried rice, you’ll use sriracha instead.
Salt and pepper: added to taste. The sauces have salt in them already, so add salt accordingly. Freshly ground pepper gives the simplest flavour.
Follow this recipe step by step with all my tips and make the foremost delicious fried rice every single time.
HOW TO MAKE EGG-FRIED RICE
Because this dish comes together quickly, make sure to prepare all the ingredients ahead of time to avoid rushing the cooking process.
• Loosen the rice tufts, if any, and set them aside. It helps in even stir-frying.
• Lightly beat the eggs, adding a pinch of salt, till the egg yolks are well combined.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a heated pan/wok and swirl it around to coat the edges.
• Pour the egg mixture and wait until the egg slightly sets at the underside. Scramble until it turns into small pieces. Transfer to a plate.
• Heat the pan/wok over high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, followed by the onion and garlic. Stir continuously for 30 seconds.
• Add cut-up cube veggies and stir for about 1 minute. The vegetables have to be cooked, but are still crunchy. So, keep stirring. Ensure nothing burns.
• Then add rice. The rice must be fried well, so keep stirring and tossing. It’ll take around 1 minute.
• Add fish, soy sauce, red chilli sauce, crushed pepper, and salt. Stir until all the flavours combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
• Add green onions and turn off the flame. Give everything an honest mix and serve immediately.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
• This recipe is customizable, and there are endless options of possibilities and deliciousness. Here are some ideas:
• We can add any protein you wish. Bacon, chicken, shrimp, salmon, or sausages are some general additions.
• Stir-frying friendly vegetables like cabbage, green peas, corn, and bell pepper are great options.
• You can swap eggs with fried tofu or tempeh for a vegan option.
• Use brown rice instead of white rice for an extra fibre boost.
• For added oomph, use sambal oelek, sriracha, or chilli paste.
TIPS
For the simplest possible results in taste and texture, here are some suggestions:
• Keep all the ingredients ready before you begin cooking.
• Use cold, cooked rice and hack the lumps before adding the rice to the pan.
• Ensure the pan/wok is large enough for the number of rice and other ingredients you need.
• Continuous stirring over high heat is important to get fluffy and smoke-infused fried rice, almost like in restaurants.
• Dice the veggies finely for quick cooking. Avoid watery or longer-cooking vegetables. They might risk turning the fried rice soggy.
• If adding other proteins, cook them previously tossing them with the rice.
• Do not complement salt or sauces before frying the rice. Adding salt timely will release too much water and prevent proper frying.
• Be careful to not add too much salt, because the sauces have salt in them already.
• Taste and adjust seasoning towards the top.
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