Singapore Fried Rice

Singapore Fried Rice is a Fusion Chinese rice dish popular in the Chinese takeaways and fast food places in many Countries. It is flavor-packed, delicious and is great to make when you are simply bored with your regular Classic Fried Rice. This Singapore fried rice can be made to a vegetarian, vegan or meat-based meal depending on your choice. In this post I share the vegetarian version with stepwise pictures. I also include tips and notes to make the eggetarian (Lacto-ovo-vegetarian), meat based and seafood versions.

I am sure a lot of you may be excited to know more about this dish.

Singapore Fried Rice

Singapore Fried Rice is a Chinese fried rice variation made with rice, vegetables, soya sauce, curry powder, spices like ginger, garlic and chilli. The vegetarian version is sometimes made with tofu and the non-vegetarian with shrimp, eggs or chicken. Curry powder is the main ingredient that imparts a distinct curry like flavor to the Singapore fried rice.

The origin of this Singapore fried rice is not known and as the name says it is not even something that evolved or is made in Singapore. After living in Singapore for almost 16 years, I am still unable to trace this anywhere in the country.

Singapore is said to be a Asian food paradise and the local cuisine hails from everywhere across the world. The Local Singapore food is a mix & fusion of all cuisines that emerge into more interesting and delicious dishes. You will most commonly find Indian, Chinese and Malay foods all over the country.

The country being a popular tourist and business destination may have inspired some genius to invent this Singapore fried rice which is a fusion of the Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines.

While I researched about the dish for years, I understand that this is made with different kinds of curry powders ranging from Madras curry powder, British curry powder to Malay Curry powder.

This Recipe

This recipe will help you make healthy, nutritious and filling meal that is also fragrant. To add some protein, you may also use paneer/tofu or eggs. If you are a meat eater, you can also add some chicken or shrimps.

This dish is also served as a street food in India. Since no curry powder is made or used there, chefs often use garam masala and coriander powder as a replacement to it. But I can say a good fragrant curry powder is the key here that can transform your dish from average to flavorful.

I have tried this dish with various kinds of spice powders including the Pav bhaji masala but that tasted something similar to Tawa pulao. The Malay meat curry powder (with star anise, but no meat in it), Indian Sambar Powder and Misal Masala worked well for me.

How to Make Singapore Fried Rice (Stepwise photos)

Cook Rice

1.Add 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice to a large pot and rinse well a few times. Drain the water completely. Pour 2 cups of water and add a few drops of oil (optional). Bring the water to a rolling boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook on a low heat until al dente (cooked fully but not mushy). Drain any excess water to a colander and add back the rice to the same pot.

Rice is a little moist at the bottom. Using a spoon, turn the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover the hot rice and place aside for 5 to 6 mins. Later fluff with a fork.

Preparation

2. While the rice cooks, Prepare the veggies. You will need:

• ⅓ cup carrots (1 medium carrot, chopped finely)
• 3 sprigs spring onions (separate the greens and whites)
• ⅓ cup green beans (or French beans, 8 to 10 chopped finely)
• ⅓ cup Bell peppers (chopped, any color)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (5 to 6 medium cloves, fine chopped)
• ¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger (1 inch, peeled fine chopped)
• 1 green chilli chopped (optional)

3. You won’t have time to look around for the ingredients. So you need to set aside everything before you begin to stir fry the dish. To a small plate add:

• 1 star anise (optional for flavor, skip if using Malay curry powder)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (Kashmiri or paprika)
• 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder (or sambar powder or ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to your taste)
• 1 to 2 dried red chillies

4. Pour 1 tablespoon soya sauce, ¾ to 1 tablespoon red chilli sauce, 1 to 1½ tablespoon ketchup, ½ teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) and ½ teaspoon sugar to a small bowl. Set this aside.

5. Dice your paneer or extra firm pressed tofu and set aside. To use eggs, chicken or shrimp, refer notes section in the recipe card.

Fry Paneer or Tofu

6. To a wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat it. When the oil is hot enough, add the paneer/ tofu.

7. Let fry until golden and crisp on a medium high heat, then turn them to the other side and fry again until crisp. Remove to a plate.

8. Pour another tablespoon oil to the hot wok. Add the star anise, dried red chilies, spring onion whites and green chilies.

9. Let them fry until you begin to smell the ginger garlic.

10. Add all the chopped veggies and half of the salt. Begin to stir fry on a high heat until tender.

11. Reduce the flame to lowest and stir in turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, curry powder and the rest of the salt.

12. Stir fry for a minute.

13. Pour all the sauce and 3 tablespoons water. Increase the flame and cook.

14. After 2 mins your sauces will cook and become fragrant.

15. Add the cooled rice.

16. Mix and stir fry for 1 to 2 mins until the Singapore fried rice is hot. Taste test and adjust salt and more soya sauce if required. Turn off.

17. Add the fried paneer/ tofu and spring onion greens.

Give a stir and serve Singapore Fried rice hot or warm.

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Recipe Card

Singapore Fried Rice first published in January 2013. Updated and republished in June 2022.