Indo-Chinese vegetable fried rice is a popular and uncomplicated dish that features a variety of vegetables and can be prepared effortlessly with only a few ingredients. The recipe utilizes Indian rice, producing a final product with a pulao texture rather than sticky rice like Jasmine rice.
This veg fried rice recipe is a fantastic way to use your leftover rice and veggies. It is versatile enough to serve as the main course or a side dish. Whether you're a die-hard vegetarian or a meat lover, vegetable fried rice is a delightful and fulfilling meal that'll tantalize your taste buds!
The veg fried rice served in restaurants typically contains MSG or Ajinomoto, as do many other Indo-Chinese dishes. The negative health impacts of MSG are well-documented, prompting some of us to avoid consuming Indo-Chinese cuisine when dining out. However, it is possible to prepare mouth-watering Indo-Chinese dishes at home without the use of additives, and they often taste better than their restaurant counterparts.
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Why you will love this recipe?
- This vegan and gluten-free vegetable fried rice is packed with nutritious vegetables, making it a healthy meal option.
- Veg fried rice is also convenient for meal prepping and packing for lunch.
- Furthermore, this dish is versatile and can be easily customized to suit individual preferences by adding protein sources such as tofu, chickpeas, or tempeh.
Ingredients
Rice: I use cooked Basmati rice for this dish which works best. Any Indian variety of white or brown rice used for pulao/biryani will work.
Vegetables: I use red onions, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, green beans, and scallions/spring onions (I have used a mix of green and red bell peppers).
Sauces: I use soy sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, and hot chili sauce.
Aromatics: I use finely chopped ginger and garlic.
How to make vegetable fried rice?
Step 1: Heat oil and add ginger and garlic. Saute on high flame for one minute (image 1).
Step 2: Add onions, carrots, bell peppers, French beans, and scallion whites (images 2 and 3).
Step 3: Stir-fry the vegetables on high heat for 2-3 minutes (image 4).
Step 4: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, and ketchup. Once the vegetables are sauteed, add the sauce mixture, salt, and black pepper (image 5).
Step 5: Mix well and saute for one minute on medium heat (image 6).
Step 6: Next, add the cooked rice and mix well. Toss the rice for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat (images 7 and 8).
Step 7: Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
How to cook the rice for fried rice?
The first step in making fried rice is cooking the rice. If you have any leftover rice sitting in your fridge, you can easily use it for this veg fried rice recipe. If you plan on making freshly cooked white rice first, follow the steps below. It is important, however, to cool the rice completely and bring it to room temperature before using it for fried rice.
Rinse the rice: Wash the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear. This helps to remove any dirt or ground rice that may make the rice starchy.
Soak the rice: Soak the rice in water for about 20-30 minutes. This helps to soften the rice grains and ensures even cooking.
Boil the rice: Bring 8-10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Cook the rice: Reduce the heat to low and let the rice simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until the rice is just done. Check the rice occasionally to ensure that it is not overcooked or undercooked. It should be similar to the al dente texture of pasta.
Drain the rice: Drain it in a colander once it is cooked. Let it sit until all the water is drained.
Spread the rice: Spread the grains of rice on a large plate or tray and let it cool completely. This helps to prevent the rice from becoming mushy when stir-fried later.
Use in fried rice: The cooked rice is now ready for use in Indian fried rice recipes. Store any leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Useful tips
Keep all the ingredients ready and handy before starting cooking. Chop the vegetables, measure and mix the sauces, and cook and cool the rice before you begin making the fried rice.
Stir-fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes only. Do not cover them. They should have a crunch in them.
Chinese cooking is done on high heat very quickly. Stir-frying on high heat produces a characteristic smoky flavor - but take care not to burn the food.
Soy sauce is quite salty. So adjust the salt level accordingly.
You can use sesame oil instead of vegetable oil for this Chinese noodles recipe as it has a high smoke point.
I add tomato ketchup to balance the strong flavors. This is optional and can be skipped.
Green chilis can be added for a spicy taste. You can also deseed the green chilies to add flavor while keeping the spice level low. Alternatively, use green chili sauce or chili oil.
This easy veg fried rice recipe can be transformed into various delectable dishes by adding different proteins such as chicken, shrimp, eggs, or pork. Just make sure to fully cook the meat before adding it to the rice. With these protein-packed variations, you can savor the deliciousness of chicken fried rice, shrimp fried rice, egg fried rice, or pork fried rice, all with just a simple tweak to the recipe.
Serving suggestions
Serve it as a side dish with these delicious Indo-Chinese recipes.
Pair it with this keto stir fry made with chicken and veggies for a delicious meal.
If you liked this recipe, please don't forget to give a 5-star rating and leave a comment below.
Recipe card
Vegetable Fried Rice (Indo-Chinses Street-style)
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 medium carrots finely chopped
- ½ cup green beans finely chopped
- ½ cup cabbage finely chopped
- ¼ cup scallion whites finely chopped
- ½ cup bell peppers finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon scallion greens for garnish
Instructions
Prep:
- Keep the cooked rice ready. See this section for instructions.
- Finely chop the ginger, garlic, onion, scallion whites, green beans, carrots, cabbage, and bell peppers.
- Take soy sauce, vinegar, red chili sauce, and tomato ketchup in a small bowl. Mix well and set it aside.
Stir-fry:
- Heat oil in a large wok on high heat. Add ginger, and garlic and saute for a few seconds.
- Add onion, carrot, bell peppers, green beans, cabbage, and scallion whites. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce mixture, salt, and pepper. Mix well and saute for one minute.
- Add the cooked rice and mix gently. Toss the rice on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and garnish with scallion greens. Serve hot.
Sarita says
This was great! Delicious and a good way to use up leftover ingredients from meals earlier in the week.
Sue says
This fried rice makes me so happy. I love it, but cannot tolerate the MSG found in most restaurant versions. Making my own makes it so easy to control what's in it!
Susannah says
I love love loved this recipe. This rice has sooo much flavor! Definitely going on regular rotation at my house.
Kris says
The veggies and spices here were positively delicious and really hit the spot! So filling, too! Will certainly make again.
Emily says
We really enjoyed this recipe! It was so easy to follow!
Jennifer says
This rice is so good! I loved all the flavors, and all the veggies in in was an extra bonus!