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Fried Rice from Leftovers

⏱ 15 min in total🔪 7 min prep🍳 8 min cooking🍽 2 portiesEasy
Fried Rice from Leftovers

The recipe that turns leftovers into dinner: cooked rice from yesterday, whatever vegetables and meat are left over, two eggs and soy sauce.

The rice has to be cold and from the day before. Freshly cooked rice is too wet and welds into lumps in the wok; a night in the fridge dries the surface of the grains so they fry separately. This is not thrift, it is the technique. A related dish is the Asian-style chicken stir-fry.

Ingredients

Measurements
🍽 2 servings
  • 300 g cooked white rice, cold (about 2 cups) — it must be from the day before
  • 150 g mixed cooked vegetables (carrot, peas, broccoli, corn, peppers), about 1 cup
  • 150 g cooked meat (roast chicken, diced schnitzel, roast beef or pork), about 1 cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oil (neutral, or sesame oil for the Asian note)
  • Scallions (spring onions), chopped, to scatter over (optional)

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and the meat you have chosen. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, just to warm them through — everything is already cooked.

  2. 2

    Push the ingredients to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the empty space and stir quickly until they are set but still moist.

  3. 3

    Add the cold rice, breaking up the clumps with a spatula. Mix everything together well.

  4. 4

    Pour the soy sauce down the hot edge of the pan rather than into the middle: there it caramelises for an instant before it spreads, and picks up a toasted flavour instead of just tasting salty. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Serve with the chopped scallions scattered over the top.

Frequently asked questions

Can fried rice be made in the microwave?

Yes. Here it is step by step:

  1. In a wide microwave-safe bowl, combine the cold rice, the vegetables, the meat, the oil and the soy sauce. Mix well so the rice takes on colour evenly.
  2. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes.
  3. Take the bowl out carefully and make a well in the middle of the rice. Crack the two eggs straight into it and beat them lightly with a fork.
  4. Return it to the microwave for another 1 to 1.5 minutes, until the egg is set. Take it out, stir vigorously so the cooked egg works through the rice, and scatter with chopped scallions (spring onions).