Fried Rice

Chinese restaurant-style, perfectly seasoned and loaded with flavors - that’s my version of fried rice. It’s vegan, customizable as per your diet, with your favorite mix-ins and is super easy to make. Plus, it takes just Five Minutes to make this with every ingredients ready.

5-Minute Fried Rice:

This super delicious recipe is my all-time favorite. While they say this recipe originated from China or Japan(well, am not sure) we Indians even love our version of sauteed rice a LOT. We have our own versions(with chilies and vinegar, street-style burnt garlic and what not) and lots of Indian inspired, Garam Masala infused versions. But here is the most simple version of fried rice that comes together in just under five minutes.

Many people say that this fried or sauteed rice is not healthy; well, who says that. Swap oil for some broth, use grilled veggies and replace white rice with some brown rice and quinoa or cauliflower rice for a low-carb twist, and for a new, healthier-tastier version.

Back in my college days when I was in southern India, I loved the mushroom sauteed rice and schezwan fried-rice a lot. But after moving to the United States, I found a very new version of fried rice here. Chinese takeouts here has a lightly sweet version and annoyingly bland. Sadly, I like very few takeout fried rice here as it's hard to find a perfectly well seasoned one. And, yes the rice used for Chinese fried rice is always jasmine or sticky rice unlike basmati rice used profusely in India for this recipe. But trust me, you can use any rice or quinoa and even cauliflower rice to make this rice recipe. The sauce and mix-ins are the key that adds an explosive flavor to a cold and bland batch of rice.

The best part of my fried brown-quinoa rice is it’s super customizable. Without much discussion, let’s make our homemade fried rice in just five minutes.

Ingredients you will need for Fried Rice:

• Cold rice - Basmati, jasmine, brown or brown+quinoa (cook and refrigerate rice for an hour or use a day-old rice for the best results) or cauliflower rice for KETO
• Veggies - carrots, peas and broccoli or mushrooms, green beans and bell peppers, cauliflower, French beans and bean sprouts (in short, choose any veggies of your choice)
• Fat - vegetable or canola oil for sautéing and sesame oil for flavoring, Ghee for KETO
• Sauces - soy sauce(dark and light) or tamari, sriracha and ketchup
• Herbs - Ginger or garlic (always freshly minced) or dried ginger and garlic powder
• Garnish - green onions

Optional - protein (tofu, Paneer, eggs or meat)

How to Make Fried Rice?

• Heat oil in the pan or heat seasoned grill pan.
• Add all the veggies and allow them to cook in high heat.
• Give a toss to keep the veggies crunchy yet flavorful.
• Now add rice/brown rice/brown rice+quinoa and give a good stir.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Now add sauces, ginger powder and baked tofu/seasoned soy curl/scrambled egg or cooked protein and give a good stir.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Now heat a teaspoon of sesame oil and add it to the rice.
• Fried vegan rice is ready to savor.
• Serve it with steamed veggies, salads or with your favorite Asian side dish.
• Enjoy!!

How to Make Fried Rice in Instant Pot?

• Put the pot in sauté mode.
• Add a teaspoon of oil and sauté veggies for a minute. Keep aside.
• In the same pot, add three cups of water.
• Wash brown rice and red quinoa, 1 cup each and add it to the water. 
• Season with salt(optional)
• Cook till 12 minutes in high and quick release pressure. (This keeps the rice little chewy yet fully cooked)
• Now add sauté veggies, season with salt, pepper and add in all spices and sauces.
• Carefully, stir the mixture using a fork and season with toasted sesame oil. (No need to sauté the rice)
• If oil-free, use aquafaba while sautéing so that veggies soften while cooking. 

NOTE: If you want to sauté the rice with veggies in the instant pot, allow the rice+quinoa mixture to cool before sautéing it with veggies. In that way, rice won’t be mushy. 

What to serve with fried rice?

Steamed veggies, sides, honey garlic tofu, Kung Pao veggies or protein and Chinese salads

What are the different types of fried rice?

Pineapple, basil, Thai, schezwan and kimchi - these are the top choices of authentic fried-rice often made with veggies, eggs and proteins. Read more about Asian cuisine here.

How many calories in this recipe?

A cup of fried rice made with white rice and veggies is approximately 228 calories. However, my brown rice fried quinoa is close to 195 calories.

How can I avoid sticky fried quinoa/rice?

Avoid using freshly cooked rice for making this dish. Also, don’t add raw eggs over the rice. Instead add soft scrambled egg or cook egg in one corner of the pan and start to mix as the egg sets in perfectly. That will help you avoid sticky fried rice. Starchy rice also stick to the pan while cooking; hence, avoid mushy rice while making this recipe.

Nutrition of Fried Rice with Brown Rice + Quinoa:

This recipe yields two to four serving depending on whether you choose a half-cup serving size or a full cup. Here is the nutrition info for a 1.5 cup of serving.

📖 Recipe