Veg fried rice recipe | How to make fried rice

Veg fried rice recipe with video & step by step photos – Delicious, flavorful and quick to make veg fried rice! There are so many ways a fried rice can be made. Chinese fried rice, schezwan style, egg fried rice, chicken fried rice are some of the most common ones from the Indo chinese cuisine.

This vegetable fried rice is an easy one to follow, can be made with any sauce you like. It can be made in a jiffy with basic ingredients and rice.

Chinese Restaurants serve veg fried rice that often taste different from one another. The few ingredients that are used in almost all recipes is the monosodium glutamate called as ajjinomotto and the olive oil or sesame oil.

Ajjinomotto or MSG lends a different taste and flavor to the rice that dominates every other ingredient that is used. Due to the controversies associated with it, I do not use it for any of my foods.

You can still make a very good vegetable fried rice with out it.

This fried rice can be served with any of these sides:
Veg manchurian
Chilli paneer
Chilli chicken
Gobi manchurian
Chilli potato
Chicken manchurian

Tips to make best veg fried rice

1. Always use non sticky rice. Cook it al dente and not mushy. A good method to cook rice is to rinse it well to get rid of the starch. Then cook it in a open pot.
2. Cool the rice completely before adding it to the pan.
3. Do not use cold vegetables from fridge as they let out lot of moisture & turn too soft.
4. Always make veg fried rice on the highest flame this lends a unique aroma.
5. Veg fried rice can be made without any sauce. But soya sauce imparts a flavor. You can also add any sauce of your choice like schezwan sauce or chilli sauce.
6. After cooking the rice, adding a tbsp of oil and tossing will prevent the rice grains from sticking up to each other.

What vegetables do you put in fried rice?

To make veg fried rice, you can use your favorite veggies like sweet corn, baby corn, french beans, baby beans, bell pepper, spring onions, peas, carrots,mushroom and cabbage too.

We love using cabbage but it is optional. If you have a dislike towards it you can skip. But fresh tender shredded cabbage lends a unique flavor that one can find in restaurants served fried rice.

This recipe can be altered to suit your taste, make an Chinese style fried rice by using soya sauce or use peri peri sauce to make a hot spicy peri peri rice. It can also be made using only vinegar.

Typically a simple Indian style fried rice is made using only vinegar & without any sauce.

Tips on using Soya sauce:

While buying soya sauce choose one that is labelled as naturally brewed or traditionally brewed. Other ways of making soya sauce uses harsh chemicals which may cause side effects in the long run.

I use Organic soya sauce or atleast the one made from Non-GMO soya. If you are looking for substitutes to soya sauce, then you may use Tamari, coconut aminos or liquid aminos. I personally feel tamari to be more flavorful than soya sauce.

More Fried rice recipes,
Schezwan fried rice
Egg fried rice
Chicken fried rice

Step-by-step photos

Cooking Rice

If you have precooked rice, then skip the first too steps. Most people prefer to use up 1 day old cooked rice or left over rice. We don’t eat leftover rice so I always make fried rice with fresh cooked rice. I have shown below the way we personally prefer.

1. Soak 2 cups rice for 10 to 20 mins. If you are a small family you can make with 1 cup rice & cup down all of the ingredients. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Then drain the water from the rice and add it to the boiling water. Also add 1 teaspoon oil to the water. Cook the rice till al dente but not mushy. Grains must be separated yet fully cooked.

2. Drain off the rice to a colander and cool it. If the rice is al dente, you can cover and set aside. This prevents it from drying too.

Preparing vegetables

While the rice cooks, chop all the veggies. You will need
½ cup fine chopped carrots (1 small)
¼ cup fine chopped french beans (4 to 5 medium)
¼ to ½ cup bell peppers (half small)
¼ to ½ cup chopped cabbage or sliced mushrooms
¼ cup spring onions (4 stalks, separate greens and whites)
1 to 2 green chilies slit (skip for kids)
1 tablespoon fine chopped garlic

How to make veg fried rice recipe

To cook on high flame and do not overcook the veggies as they lose the crunch.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok on the highest flame. If you don’t have a wok, use a wide pan. Add garlic and sauté till you get an aroma. If you wish to use spices, you can add a single strand of mace and star anise now and fry for a min. This is optional but gives the authentic Chinese cuisine flavors.

4. Add all chopped vegetables and slit green chilli. Fry for 2 minutes.

5. Next add half teaspoon sugar (optional) if you like. Using sugar keeps the veggies color intact.

Adding sauces

6. Ensure the flame is still high at this stage. For making Indian fried rice just add ¾ to 1 tablespoon vinegar. To make Chinese style, add 1 tablespoon soya sauce as well. You can add more or less to suit your taste. Any other hot sauces you prefer can also be added at this stage.

There is already salt added to the sauces, so I add only half a teaspoon at this stage. Take care not to add too much. Do not cook the veggies further as the salt will make them sweat out.

7. The sauces will bubble immediately, then add rice and black pepper.

8. Toss, mix, fry for 2 to 3 mins. Taste test. If needed add more sauce & salt now to suit your taste. Remember the entire cooking process should happen on the highest flame. Otherwise the moisture from the veggies can make the rice mushy.

Garnish veg fried rice with spring onion greens.

Variations of the recipe

I have shown the basic version of making fried rice above, but you can try these variations:

1.You can make egg fried rice using the same recipe. Just stir in 4 beaten eggs once the veggies are cooked. Scramble & cook the eggs then add rice.

2. Stir in your favorite sauce to spice up the fried rice. You can use some schezwan sauce or sri racha.

3. You can also use some cooked chicken chunks in this dish. Just add them to the pan along with the veggies. Double the sauces and black pepper.

Recipe

Veg fried rice

Fried rice recipe – Restaurant style easy vegetable fried rice recipe made in Indo Chinese style. This recipe will yield you one of the most flavorful & delicious fried rice. 

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1x2x3x

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

• 2 cups Rice (long grain)
• 1 tablespoon Garlic chopped
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil or sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Soya sauce (about 2 to 3 tsp, use to suit your taste)
• ¾ to 1 tablespoon Vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)
• Salt as needed
• ½ teaspoon Black pepper coarsely crushed

Vegetables

• ¼ cup Carrots chopped finely
• ¼ cup Bell peppers or capsicum chopped finely
• ¼ cup Beans chopped finely
• ¼ cup Cabbage (or 3 to 4 tablespoon chopped )
• ¼ cup Spring onions (or 3 to 4 tablespoon chopped )

Optional ingredients (skip if you don’t have)

• 1 green chili slit
• 8 sprigs celery chopped finely
• ¼ cup mushrooms sliced
• 1 star anise or ¼ teaspoon star anise powder
• 1 strand mace

How to make the recipe

Preparation

• Skip this section if you have precooked rice. Wash rice a few times till the water runs clear. 
• Soak it for at least 10 mins & drain the water.
• Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. 
• Add the rice & pour 1 tsp oil to prevent the rice from turning sticky.
• Cook rice till al dente. Rice must not be mushy but has to be grainy. 
• Drain off the rice to a colander. Cool it completely & fluff it up with a fork.
• Chop the veggies, garlic and other ingredients. 

How to make fried rice

• Heat a wok with oil on the highest flame and fry chopped garlic slightly. 
• Add mace and star anise (optional) for a wonderful flavor. 
• Next put in all the chopped veggies and fry for a min or two. 
• Add in half tsp sugar (optional) to cut down the pungent taste from vinegar.
• To make Indian fried rice recipe just add vinegar & salt to the wok. 
• To make Chinese style, add soya sauce, vinegar & very little salt.
• Add rice and black pepper powder. Fry the vegetable fried rice for 2 mins.
• Garnish veg fried rice with fresh chopped spring onions.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

Video

Video of veg fried rice recipe

NUTRITION (estimation only)

Serving: 2g | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1690IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Notes

Notes for veg fried rice recipe

1. A Chinese wok lends the best flavor to the rice. Even a cast iron skillet works good.
2. Rice must be fried on the highest flame or heat. That lends a smoky flavor to the rice.
3. Do not use mushy rice.
4. Refrigerated rice can be used.
5. You can make variations to this by adding some schezwan sauce
   You can also stir in an egg after frying the veggies.
6. If you prefer to use star anise powder skip add it to the pan just before putting in the rice.

If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.