This is my almost-kiddish egg fried rice – no vegetables, no complicated sauces, just eggs, onions, garlic, a little chilli and a few pantry staples. But with a really hot wok and the right seasoning, you still get a wonderfully fragrant, flavourful fried rice with that slightly smoky wok hei we all love.
Serves: 3–4
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup cooking oil, plus more if needed
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2–3 bird’s eye chillies, sliced
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old and chilled
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce, or to taste
- 1½–2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- 2–3 stalks spring onion, sliced, optional
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Heat a wok over high heat until very hot. Add approximately ¼ cup oil and allow the oil to heat up until shimmering.
- Pour in the eggs and immediately scramble them roughly. You want fairly large, fluffy pieces rather than very finely scrambled egg. Once just cooked, remove the eggs from the wok and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the wok if it looks dry. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic and bird’s eye chillies.
- Stir-fry over high heat until fragrant and the onions have softened and started to brown slightly around the edges.
- Drizzle in the light soy sauce. Season with salt and sugar. I like mine slightly sweeter and usually use close to 2 tablespoons of sugar – it rounds out the saltiness of the soy sauce and brings out the savoury flavours of the fried rice.
- Return the scrambled eggs to the wok and toss everything together.
- Add the cooked jasmine rice. Toss continuously over high heat, breaking apart any clumps, until every grain is evenly coated and piping hot.
- Add the sliced spring onions, reserving some for garnish if you like. Give everything one final toss.
- Serve immediately, topped with more spring onions.
Watch the video HERE.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Why is day-old rice better for fried rice?
Day-old rice has had time to dry out in the fridge, so the grains are firmer and separate much more easily in the wok. This helps your fried rice stay fluffy instead of becoming soft or mushy.
Jasmine rice is my favourite because of its fragrance and texture.
2. Can I use freshly cooked rice?
Yes, but let it cool completely first. Spread the cooked rice out on a large plate or tray so the steam can escape, then chill it if you have time.
You want the rice to be relatively dry before it hits the wok.
3. Isn’t 2 tablespoons of sugar a lot?
It may sound like it, but this fried rice is intentionally seasoned slightly on the sweeter side. The sugar balances the soy sauce and salt and helps bring out the savoury flavours of such a simple dish.
Start with 1 tablespoon if you prefer, taste, then add more until it tastes right to you.
4. Can I leave out the bird’s eye chilli?
Absolutely. Leave it out completely if you’re cooking for children or don’t want any heat.
For something milder, use just one chilli. If you like your fried rice spicy, add more.
5. How do I get wok hei at home?
The biggest thing is heat.
Get your wok very hot before adding the ingredients, avoid overcrowding it, and keep everything moving once the rice goes in. Day-old rice also helps because there is less moisture cooling down the wok.
A home stove may not produce exactly the same wok hei as a commercial wok burner, but high heat and quick cooking can still give you beautifully toasted, smoky flavour.
6. Do I need a wok?
A wok works best because its shape makes high-heat tossing easier, but you can also use a large frying pan.
Use the widest pan you have so the rice has plenty of contact with the hot surface instead of steaming.
7. Can I add vegetables or protein?
Of course — but part of the charm of this particular fried rice is how unapologetically simple it is!
If you want to bulk it up, frozen peas, carrots, prawns or diced chicken would all work. Just make sure any protein is cooked before adding the rice.
