You can never go wrong with Asian food recipes at home. My family always requests that I make sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and beef broccoli stir fry. This vegetable fried rice is the very best accompaniment to a variety of Asian dishes, and it’s so simple to make. Lately I’ve really been embracing the “cook once, eat twice” motto – basically you cook enough food the first night to use all or some of the components in the second night’s dinner. It’s been a major time saver! This veggie fried rice is the very best way to take your leftovers and turn them into something special.
Veggie Fried Rice Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need cooked rice, vegetable oil, onion, carrots, red bell pepper, peas, garlic, eggs, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, pepper and green onions.
How Do You Make Veggie Fried Rice?
Heat some of the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet. Add the onion and carrot to the pan, and cook until tender. Stir in the red bell pepper and cook for a few more minutes, then add the garlic. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste, then remove the veggies from the pan and cover to keep warm. Add the rest of the vegetable oil, and scramble the eggs in the pan. Season the eggs, then add the rice, cooked veggies and peas to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce an sesame oil, then cook for another 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the green onions over the top, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
Frozen peas work perfectly in this fried rice, no need to look for fresh peas. That being said, I don’t recommend canned peas as they don’t have as nice of a color or texture as the frozen version. Fried rice works best with cold rice, so this is the perfect way to use up leftover rice from the fridge. With cold rice that’s had a trip through the refrigerator, the grains are all separated and firm, and you’ll get a better texture than you would with freshly cooked rice. Fried rice made with just-cooked rice will be softer and won’t have those crispy little bits. Be sure to cut your vegetables into uniformly sized pieces so that they’ll cook at the same rate.
Flavor Variations
There are so many different ingredients you can add to your fried rice to customize it to your tastes.
Protein: You can add protein such as tofu, or even chicken, pork beef, ham or shrimp if you’re not a vegetarian. Vegetables: I like to add other vegetables that I may have on hand such as edamame, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, snow peas, zucchini, cauliflower mushrooms, corn or green beans. Seasonings: You can add other seasonings such as sesame seeds, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, sriracha sauce for a little kick, or freshly grated ginger. Grains: This recipe also works well with brown rice, or a blend of rice with quinoa.
Everyone is sure to be impressed with this fried rice. It’s full of flavor, color and texture with minimal work involved!
