Chinese-American · main

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried Rice reads umami 6.8, richness 5.8 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 1 hr 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.8 · Richness 5.8 · Salinity 5.1 · Allium 4.4 · Sweetness 4.0 · Nutty 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Earthy 1.4 · Floral 1.2 · Sourness 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Fruity 1.1 · Heat 0.6 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (14)

• long-grain white rice — 710 g
• oil — 41 g
• eggs — 300 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• carrots — 120 g
• frozen peas — 237 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• scallions — 400 g
• soybean soy sauce — 44 g
• oyster sauce — 15 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g
• salt — 3 g
• white pepper — 1 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 12 min (12 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 185.7 kcal, 5.5 g protein, 4.2 g fat, 31.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. If cooking rice fresh, spread it on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour (day-old refrigerated rice works even better) — this dries the grains so they fry separate instead of turning gummy.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Pour in the eggs, let them set 10 seconds, then scramble into small curds until just set, 30-45 seconds; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the same pan over high heat. Add the onion and carrots and stir-fry until the carrots are crisp-tender and the onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry, pressing the rice against the hot pan, until heated through and lightly toasted at the edges, 4-5 minutes.
6. Push the rice to the sides of the pan and pour the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil into the cleared center. Let the sauces bubble and toast against the hot metal for 15 seconds, then stir-fry to distribute through the rice, about 1 minute total.
7. Add the peas, salt, white pepper, and reserved scrambled eggs. Toss until everything is evenly distributed and heated through, 1-2 minutes.
8. Remove from heat, taste and adjust salt, fold in the scallion greens, and serve immediately while hot.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• One-Pan Vegetable Fried Rice with Egg — Chinese-American
• One-Pan Chicken Fried Rice — Chinese-American
• Ground Turkey Fried Rice with Peas and Carrots — Chinese-American
• Korean Ground Beef Bowl — Korean
• Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein — Chinese-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.