This recipe was submitted by Rachel Wong, a student at UC Davis majoring in managerial economics. Her goal is to be a music festival planner. She is the granddaughter of Richard Wong.
Chinese fried rice (simplified Chinese: 炒饭; traditional Chinese: 炒飯; pinyin: chǎofàn) is popular in China and around the world. It is often served as the penultimate dish in Chinese banquets, just before dessert. The earliest record of fried rice is found in the Sui dynasty (589–618 CE), per Wikipedia.
Fried rice is believed to have started as a way to accommodate leftovers and is commonly prepared with rice, meat, vegetables, soy sauce and garlic. This popular culinary dish is a favorite in our Wong family household and will surely be enjoyed by future generations.
I have vivid memories as a child of me coming home after swim practice to some delicious fried rice made by my dad, Rick Wong. To this day, fried rice is one of my favorite dishes because not only is it delicious, but it makes me very nostalgic and reminds me of home!
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups leftover jasmine long-grain rice
- 3 tbsp. oil
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup leftover protein: char-siu, beef, chicken, shrimp, firm tofu, or spam (my favorite!)
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 (1″) piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/3 c. frozen peas, carrots, and corn
- 1 ketchup packet (my dad’s secret ingredient)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Heat a seasoned carbon steel (you can use a non-stick wok to simplify cleaning) wok to a high cooking temperature. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, lightly scramble eggs, and transfer to a plate. Wipe the wok clean with paper towels.
Step 2: Heat the wok back to cooking temperature and add 1 tablespoon of oil then heat ½ cup leftover diced protein (char-siu, beef, chicken, shrimp, firm tofu, or spam) and transfer to a plate. Wipe the wok clean with paper towels.
Step 3: Heat and swirl 2 tablespoons of oil into the wok. Cook garlic and ginger, tossing constantly, until fragrant and the garlic begins to brown, which should be around 30 seconds. Add rice and immediately toss to combine for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper, tossing constantly, until soy sauce is absorbed, which should be about 1 minute. Add eggs, protein, frozen vegetables, and 2 tablespoons of scallions and cook, tossing constantly, until warmed through and incorporated, which should be about 2 minutes more. Transfer the delicious fried rice onto a large platter and garnish with the remaining diced scallions.
Enjoy!
