Chinese Fried Rice
This Chinese fried rice has the flavor those other recipes are missing. Tastes like takeout. I want to dedicate this dish to Bergy, whose recipe Indonesian Mehoon has inspired this dish. Make sure you season your rice with salt before it cooks. Add some butter to the cooking water, as well. Other seasonings should be added before you cook, as well, so it has time to get inside the rice. If you like sesame flavor, add 1 tsp of it after you add the green onions, but do not use it as a cooking oil because it easily burns.
This Chinese fried rice has the flavor those other recipes are missing. Tastes like takeout. I want to dedicate this dish to Bergy, whose recipe Indonesian Mehoon has inspired this dish. Make sure you season your rice with salt before it cooks. Add some butter to the cooking water, as well. Other seasonings should be added before you cook, as well, so it has time to get inside the rice. If you like sesame flavor, add 1 tsp of it after you add the green onions, but do not use it as a cooking oil because it easily burns.
- 4 green onions chopped
- 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onions
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 egg lightly beaten (more if you like)
- 3 drops soy sauce
- 3 drops sesame oil
- 8 ounces cooked lean boneless pork or 8 ounces chicken chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot finely chopped
- 4 cups cold cooked rice grains separated (preferably medium grain
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce more if you like
- Carbohydrate 168.240459219545 g
- Cholesterol 91.89 mg
- Fat 16.4275836488285 g
- Fiber 7.97952132725894 g
- Protein 32.5750244615707 g
- Saturated Fat 2.89548743268426 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (411g)
- Sodium 340.994829619779 mg
- Sugar 160.260937892286 g
- Trans Fat 1.63418997924774 g
- Calories 970 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.
- Allow wok to cool slightly.
- Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.
- Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture; working quickly, swirl egg until egg sets against wok; when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from wok, and chop into small pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, peas, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- Add 2 tbsp of light soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.
- Set out additional soy sauce on the table, if desired.
Steamed rice is soft and absorbent, whereas standard stir-fry components require high heat and rapid evaporation. Attempting to throw everything into a pan simultaneously yields a grey, watery mess rather than distinct grains. Success relies on thermal management and strict sequencing, requiring a wok or a heavy carbon steel skillet that retains heat efficiently when cold ingredients are introduced. Standard nonstick pans often fail here because they cannot reach the high surface temperatures needed to brown aromatics properly without degrading the coating.
Brown the chopped onions first, allowing them to transform for eight to ten minutes until they develop a deep brown color and concentrated sweetness. This step cannot be rushed or combined with the meat, because onions release moisture that lowers pan temperature and prevents the Maillard reaction from occurring. Once those aromatics are removed, the eggs require immediate attention with just three drops of soy and sesame oil whisked in before hitting the hot surface. Working quickly to swirl the egg ensures it sets into a paper-thin sheet that puffs and flips within seconds, creating delicate ribbons rather than scrambled lumps.
Cold, day-old grains separate easily when tossed with lean pork or chicken, carrots, peas, and bean sprouts for a rapid three-minute stir-fry. Adding light soy sauce too early will steam the rice instead of frying it, which is why the seasoning is reserved for the final minute alongside the chopped egg. Reserve sesame oil strictly as a finishing touch rather than a cooking medium, since its low smoke point causes it to scorch and turn bitter almost instantly under high heat.
