Chinese Fried Rice

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Faizah

When I was a lot younger and was visiting my big brother in KL, he used to take us to the hawker food center in Uptown. There were plenty of stalls to choose from, but I still wasn’t so adventurous with food at the time. So, I usually ended up ordering Chinese fried rice from a stall called Johnny’s (I think).

Usually the drinks stall guy would help us order food to encourage us to sit in front of their shop and order from them, instead of from other competitors. Sometimes the guy screws up and orders the same dish from a different stall, but that version wouldn’t be as good as the one from Johnny’s. I like this version because of its simplicity, yummy proteins and minimal veg. A simple, complete, and tasty meal. Fast forward to today, having built a decent amount of experience in cooking, I now also know Chinese fried rice is also one of the easiest to make. It is therefore a regular solution for times I was too lazy but still needed to cook something.

In Malaysia, when we order ‘Chinese fried rice’ we’re actually referring to Yong Chow fried rice. Yong Chow fried rice usually comprises of a couple of proteins, e.g. chicken and shrimp, mix veggies and eggs. I’m not a fan of using frozen veggies, so I hand-cut fresh carrots and use long beans in place of frozen peas. My go-to proteins are chicken and shrimp, but for this post, I was out of shrimp so I substituted with diced fish cakes. Of course, many home cooks know fried rice is a wonderful playground to experiment with whatever leftovers we have in the fridge. So don’t be afraid to toss in other stuff like luncheon meat, char siu, etc. So many possibilities!

This recipe here is inspired by Che Nom, with my own twist.

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Step by Step

In a large wok over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the chicken and fish cakes and cook, stirring, until the meat is just cooked through and turns pale and opaque, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle with the ground white pepper, and stir to combine.

Add the diced carrots and long beans and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Push the contents of the wok to one side, and add the eggs. Let the eggs cook undisturbed, about 30 seconds, sprinkling some more white pepper if you like, then scramble.

Add the rice and cook, tossing vigorously, until well combined.

Season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken powder, and sesame oil. Toss until completely incorporated.

Serve immediately. I usually have my fried rice with a few cucumber slices.

Chinese Fried Rice

Malaysian-style Yong Chow fried rice, more commonly called 'Chinese fried rice' in local stalls.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup cooking oil choose one with a high smoking point
  • 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 150 grams boneless chicken breast cut into thin slices
  • 150 grams fish cakes cubed, see note 1
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ½ carrot diced
  • 3 strands long beans cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups cooked white rice preferably overnight, see note 2
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions
 

  • In a large wok over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
  • Add the chicken and shrimp and cook, stirring, until the meat is just cooked through and turns pale and opaque, about 1 minute.
  • Sprinkle with the ground white pepper, and stir to combine.
  • Add the diced carrots and long beans and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Push the contents of the wok to one side, and add the eggs. Let the eggs cook undisturbed, about 30 seconds, sprinkling some more white pepper if you like, then scramble.
  • Add the rice and cook, tossing vigorously, until well combined.
  • Season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken powder, and sesame oil. Toss until completely incorporated.
  • Serve immediately. I usually have my fried rice with a few cucumber slices.

Notes

  1. Yong chow fried rice typically has two types of protein in addition to the eggs.  I usually add shrimp instead of fish cakes.  Luncheon meat or char siu also works fine.  Feel free to change it up with whatever you have in your fridge.
  2. Fried rice typically calls for cooked rice, preferably cooked the night before and chilled.  The goal is to use rice that is completely dry and firm, and freshly cooked rice is usually the opposite of what we need.  If I don’t have overnight rice on hand, I would cook 2 rice cooker cups (about 1 ½ metric cup) of rice, spread it in a thin layer on a large tray, and leave it to cool uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.   

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