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Home-styleEasy 25 min serves 2 Vegetarian-ok

Vegetable Fried Rice

蔬菜炒饭 · shū cài chǎo fàn

家庭快手版 · Home version: The home version is deliberately light — soy, sesame and the vegetables' own sweetness. Restaurant and takeout versions lean on more oil and often a spoon of chicken bouillon powder, which is why they taste louder but heavier.

The fried rice Chinese families make on the day there is nothing in the fridge but half a carrot, three mushrooms and yesterday's rice. There is no canonical ingredient list — you use what is there, keeping to one rule: everything gets diced to roughly the size of a rice grain so you get a little of each in every spoonful.

H

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More egg recipes →Quick & EasyVegetarian

Ingredients

  • cooked rice, cold and day-old米饭,隔夜冷饭🛒 local450 g
  • dried shiitake, soaked and diced干香菇,泡发切丁🏮 asian20 g dried
  • carrot, small dice胡萝卜,切小丁🛒 local80 g
  • baby bok choy, stems diced and leaves shredded小白菜,帮切丁叶切丝🏮 asian150 g
  • frozen corn kernels冷冻玉米粒🛒 local70 g
  • large eggs, beaten鸡蛋,打散🛒 local100 g
  • garlic, minced蒜末🛒 local8 g
  • light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian20 ml
  • toasted sesame oil香油🏮 asian5 ml
  • scallion, thinly sliced小葱,切葱花🛒 local25 g

dried shiitake, soaked and diced: Soak 30 minutes in warm water; reserve the soaking liquid for soups

large eggs, beaten: Omit for a vegan version and add pressed tofu instead

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

  1. 1Squeeze the soaked shiitake very dry, then dice to the size of a rice grain. Dice the carrot and bok choy stems to match.

    配料切米粒丁

    🔍 Look for Low heat 8 分钟 · 8 minutes

    Visual: 所有丁料大小均匀,没有一粒超过米粒的两倍All the dice sit in one even pile with no piece more than twice the size of a grain of rice

    You know it's right when: 捏起一把配料能聚成小拼块,不会散成大块A pinch of the mix holds together as a small mosaic rather than falling apart into big chunks

    Uniform dice is not fussiness — it is what makes every spoonful taste the same.

  2. 2Heat 1 tbsp oil over high. Add the beaten egg, scramble 20 seconds until just set, and remove.

    炒蛋备用

    🔍 Look for High heat 30 秒 · 30 seconds

    Visual: 蛋色浅黄蓬松,仍带几处油亮湿润;无焦黄Egg is pale yellow, puffed, and still has a few glossy wet spots; no browning

    You know it's right when: 锅铲一铲能从底部整片铲起It releases from the wok in one piece when you slide the spatula under it

  3. 3Add 1 tbsp oil, then garlic and shiitake. Stir-fry 60 seconds until the mushroom smell is strong.

    爆香蒜与香菇

    🔍 Look for Medium-high 60 秒 · 60 seconds

    Visual: 香菇丁变深并略微收缩;蒜末呈浅金而非褐色Shiitake dice have darkened and shrunk slightly; the garlic is pale gold, not brown

    You know it's right when: 厨房里满是泥土般菇香,香菇在锅里擦出响声An earthy mushroom aroma fills the kitchen and the mushrooms squeak against the wok

    Squeeze the mushrooms hard. Wet mushrooms steam instead of browning and never develop flavour.

  4. 4Add carrot, corn and bok choy stems. Stir-fry 90 seconds over high heat.

    炒硬质蔬菜

    🔍 Look for High heat 90 秒 · 90 seconds

    Visual: 胡萝卜油亮橙红,玉米粒饱满发亮,白菜帮转为鲜翠Carrot is glossy orange, corn kernels look plump and shiny, bok choy stems have turned bright jade

    You know it's right when: 生胡萝卜味消失,锅里飘出甜味The raw carrot smell has gone and the pan smells sweet

  5. 5Add the cold rice and press-and-fold for 2–3 minutes until completely separated, then add the bok choy leaves for the last 45 seconds.

    炒饭下菜叶

    🔍 Look for High heat 3 分钟 · 3 minutes

    Visual: 米粒干爽分明;菜叶刚塌软成深绿,锅底不积水Grains are dry and separate; the leaves have just wilted to a deep green with no water pooling in the wok

    You know it's right when: 米饭轻微爆响,能看到米粒在锅边跳动Rice crackles lightly and you can see individual grains jumping at the wok edge

  6. 6Return the egg, pour the soy sauce around the wok edge, toss 30 seconds. Off the heat add sesame oil and scallion and fold twice.

    合炒收尾

    🔍 Look for Low heat 1 分钟 · 1 minute

    Visual: 浅褐米粒间杂橙红胡萝卜、深褐香菇、绿叶与黄蛋碎,面上翠绿葱花鲜明Pale tan grains speckled with orange carrot, dark mushroom, green leaves and yellow egg; scallion sits bright green on top

    You know it's right when: 香油味是关火之后才飘出来的——说明没被烧焦The sesame aroma arrives after the heat is off, not before — that means it has not burned

Tips

  • · Dice every vegetable to rice-grain size. Big pieces never distribute and you end up fishing them out.
  • · Soy sauce goes in around the wok edge at the end, so it toasts rather than soaking in and making the rice wet.
  • · For a vegan version, drop the egg and add diced pressed tofu fried until golden.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Common questions

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

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