Egg Fried Rice with Vegetables (Leftover Rice)
سبزیوں والے انڈا فرائیڈ رائس (بچے ہوئے چاول)
Egg fried rice is the best thing to do with yesterday's rice. Cold, cooked rice fries into separate, fluffy grains, while fresh rice turns mushy. Add scrambled egg, a handful of colourful vegetables and a splash of soy sauce and you have a complete, mild meal in 15 minutes that children love. It's a cousin of the restaurant chicken fried rice, simpler and cheaper, and it's excellent cold or warm in a lunch box.
- ⏱ Total: 20 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 3
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers so the grains are separate.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a over medium-high heat. Pour in the eggs, let them set for a few seconds, then scramble into soft pieces. Lift out onto a plate.
Add the rest of the oil and the garlic and stir for 20 seconds. Add the carrot, peas, corn and capsicum and stir-fry for 3 minutes until the carrot is tender-crisp.
Add the rice and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, pressing and tossing, until heated through and lightly toasted. Add the soy sauce, pepper and salt and toss well.
Return the egg, add the spring onions, toss for 30 seconds and serve.
Kitchen notes
Store leftover rice in the fridge within an hour of cooking and use within a day. Cooked rice left warm for hours can make people ill.
Add leftover chicken, prawns or paneer for more protein.
Frozen mixed vegetables work perfectly and save chopping time.
Leftover rice, transformed
Most Pakistani homes cook rice often, and there’s usually some left over. Instead of reheating plain rice, turn it into egg fried rice. It’s one of the quickest meals there is, and it uses ingredients that are almost always in the kitchen.
Why day-old rice works
As cooked rice cools in the fridge, it dries slightly and firms up. In a hot pan, those firm grains fry separately and take on a light toasted flavour. Fresh, warm rice is soft and steamy and turns sticky.
Rice safety
Cooked rice can carry bacteria that survive cooking and multiply if the rice is left warm. Cool leftover rice quickly, keep it in the fridge, use it within a day, and reheat it until piping hot. For lunch boxes, pack it cold with an ice pack.
Serving
Serve with a simple chicken manchurian or on its own with ketchup or chili sauce. For more lunch-box ideas, see our school lunch box collection.
Questions people ask
Why does my fried rice turn mushy?
The rice was freshly cooked and still moist. Use cold rice from the fridge, or spread fresh rice on a tray and cool it for an hour first.
Is it OK in a lunch box?
Yes, packed cold from the fridge in an insulated bag with an ice pack. Don't leave rice dishes warm for long periods.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
