Dan chao fan 蛋炒饭 is essentially the most fundamental Chinese language fried rice and the one I grew up consuming in Beijing as an after college snack and a late breakfast. It’s a Chinese language dwelling dish, not a restaurant dish, and the entire level is letting the rice and the egg be the flavour with out crowding the pan with further components. If I need a fuller fried rice with meat and greens, I prepare dinner my Yang Zhou fried rice or my rooster fried rice as an alternative.
I nonetheless eat this for breakfast on chilly mornings in NY once I need one thing sizzling and salty earlier than the remainder of the day begins, and my husband eats it straight from the pan with a soup spoon whereas I’m nonetheless plating. My son is 2 and he will get a small bowl with further egg.
On a weeknight I sort out it in a single pan and a brief window of consideration. I beat the eggs and slice the inexperienced onions whereas a heavy skillet heats up, scramble the eggs in sizzling oil till the underside units and the highest remains to be partially runny, drop the chilly rice straight onto the runny egg, chop with the spatula till the grains separate, end with salt and inexperienced onion, and let the rice toast in opposition to the pan for a few minutes. The entire dish is on the desk in 10 minutes. Sure, you learn that proper!
Substances
It is a 3 ingredient recipe at coronary heart, with salt and oil pulling the remainder of the burden. Every part sits within the fridge already, and the cooking is what turns the components into the dish.
Day outdated white rice: Cooled rice that has misplaced its floor moisture is the one type that fries into separated grains as an alternative of a sticky clump. I prepare dinner a pot the evening earlier than and refrigerate it uncovered for an hour or 2 to dry the floor, then seal it.
Eggs: Crushed simply sufficient to interrupt the yolks into the whites. I like so as to add a pinch of salt to season the eggs individually, to layer the flavour.
Inexperienced onions: Sliced skinny, the entire stalk together with the inexperienced tops. This is without doubt one of the solely flavors within the dish and the rice tastes skinny with out sufficient of it.
Salt and oil: Plain salt is all the seasoning, and a impartial oil like peanut or vegetable oil carries the warmth into the eggs and the rice. To spice up the flavour, I additionally like to make use of a contact of rooster bouillon powder on prime of the salt.
The way to make
1. Prep the components: Beat the eggs in a small bowl till the yolks break into the whites. Slice the inexperienced onions skinny. Pull the rice from the fridge and break up any clumps with a spoon whereas it’s nonetheless chilly.
2. Prepare dinner the egg: I favor to warmth up my small wok actually sizzling till smoking earlier than including the eggs, so it chars the underside immediately and fluffy up the eggs. Pour the overwhelmed eggs into the new oil and wait till the underside is simply set, about 15 to twenty seconds, then barely scramble it. I wish to prepare dinner till many of the egg is ready however some components on prime are nonetheless runny.
3. Prepare dinner the rice: Pour the chilly rice on prime of the runny egg in an excellent layer. Use the spatula to cut the rice and the egg into small items, so among the rice is coated with egg and the crispy egg backside breaks into bits. Preserve chopping and stirring till the rice is effectively separated.
7. Season: Sprinkle the salt over the rice and add the sliced inexperienced onion.
8. Toast the rice: Press the rice into an excellent layer in opposition to the pan and let it sit undisturbed for 30 to 45 seconds, then stir and press it again right into a layer. Repeat for two to three minutes complete till the rice turns barely golden and crispy on the surfaces touching the pan.
I like to make use of peanut oil to make this dish, which makes the rice a little bit nutty. Should you use a impartial oil like vegetable oil, you may add a contact of toasted sesame oil on the finish of the cooking, when the warmth is off. It provides a wonderful nutty perfume and instantly elevate the dish.
9. Relaxation and serve: Flip off the warmth and let the rice sit within the heat pan for one more minute to crisp additional. Switch to a plate and serve sizzling as a aspect or a light-weight fundamental.
My Cooking Ideas
Chill contemporary rice on a sheet tray if no leftovers: If I’m cooking contemporary rice that day, I unfold it in a skinny layer on a sheet tray, let it cool to room temperature, then chill it for half-hour minimal earlier than frying.
Don’t skimp on the oil: 2 tablespoons is the minimal for 3 cups of rice. The oil is what carries the warmth into the grains and provides them their toasted crust, and an under-oiled pan steams the rice as an alternative. For fluffier eggs, use a bit extra oil.
Use extra inexperienced onion than you suppose you want: 4 inexperienced onions to three cups of rice is the working ratio. The entire stalk goes in, white and inexperienced components collectively, because the white components add savory depth and the inexperienced components add a contemporary prime word.
Add a pinch of rooster bouillon if the dish tastes skinny: 1 / 4 teaspoon of rooster bouillon or MSG is the distinction between a house plate and a takeout plate. I go away it out once I need the eggs and rice to be the one taste.
Prepare dinner in a wok or massive skillet: A wok or 12 inch pan provides 3 cups of rice room to unfold in a skinny layer. A smaller pan piles the rice deep and steams the underside whereas the highest stays cool.
The way to Serve
I serve egg fried rice because the aspect that completes a Chinese language dinner, paired with a saucier fundamental like kung pao rooster and a bowl of genuine sizzling and bitter soup. The rice catches the sauce from the rooster, the soup brings the bitter style and the warmth, and the desk comes collectively as an actual homestyle Chinese language dinner as an alternative of a single dish.
After I prepare dinner this as a light-weight meal for myself, I plate it alongside an straightforward Chinese language cucumber salad for crunch and acid in opposition to the wealthy egg, and that’s the bowl I convey to my desk for lunch on a piece day. For breakfast I eat it by itself straight from the pan, since yesterday’s leftovers flip right into a 5 minute breakfast that beats something I might put collectively on a weekday morning.
Steadily requested questions
Can I take advantage of brown rice or jasmine rice?
Each work, and jasmine is what I take advantage of most frequently since it’s what’s often in my rice cooker for on a regular basis meals. Brown rice fries properly and provides a nuttier word, although the grains keep chewier and the toasting takes a contact longer. I keep away from quick grain or sushi rice as a result of the grains are too sticky.
What can I add to make this extra filling?
Diced ham, leftover meat like rotisserie rooster or stew meat, crispy bacon bits, or 1/2 cup of frozen blended greens go in alongside the inexperienced onion on the finish with out altering the cooking methodology. For a soy sauce model, I add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of darkish soy sauce together with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar instead of the salt, which deepens the colour and provides umami depth.
How lengthy do leftovers preserve?
Egg fried rice retains in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 days, and I reheat it in a sizzling dry skillet for two to three minutes to re-crisp the rice. I additionally merely microwave the rice to reheat once I really feel lazy. I often don’t freeze fried rice as a result of I usually end them shortly, however you may freeze them as much as 1 month.
Wish to Save This Recipe?
Enter your electronic mail beneath & we’ll ship it to your inbox. Plus get nice new recipes from us each week!
I like making this 10-minute Chinese language homestyle Egg Fried Rice recipe. I put together it with day-old rice, eggs, and inexperienced onions, seasoned with nothing however salt. It’s the dish I prepare dinner when there’s leftover rice within the fridge, 4 eggs within the carton, and I would like one thing sizzling and savory on the desk for my household.
Stop your display from going darkish
-
Add oil to a big skillet and warmth over medium-high warmth till smoking. Pour within the overwhelmed eggs. Wait till the underside of the eggs is ready. Evenly scramble the eggs till largely set however some components are nonetheless runny.
-
Add the rice on prime of the runny egg. Use your spatula to cut the rice to separate it into small items, so among the rice is coated with egg. Preserve stirring and chopping the rice till the rice is effectively separated.
-
Sprinkle with salt and add the inexperienced onion. Preserve cooking and stir sometimes, till the rice turns barely golden and crispy, 2 to three minutes. Style the rice. Modify seasoning by including extra salt (or a contact of rooster bouillon or MSG), if wanted. You may go away the rice within the pan for a pair extra minutes after turning off the range, so the rice will get even crispier.
-
(Elective) Should you used a impartial oil like vegetable oil, add toasted sesame oil after turning off the warmth. Stir to combine once more.
-
Switch all the things to a plate and serve sizzling as a aspect dish or a light-weight fundamental dish.
Ingredient Substitution Information
Serving: 1serving, Energy: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 38.4g, Protein: 9.1g, Fats: 11.5g, Saturated Fats: 2.6g, Ldl cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 357mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.8g, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to listen to the way it turned out for you! Please take a second to go away a 5-star ranking ⭐️ and share your ideas within the feedback additional down the web page. It actually helps others uncover the recipe too.
