Fragrant, spicy, and bold, this delicious Indian fried rice will be your next favorite meal! It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and packed with colorful veggies. An easy weeknight dinner that is low-effort and is ready in 15 minutes.
Fried rice is one of my favorite things to make whenever I crave something hearty yet simple to prepare. Although I love my gochujang fried rice and Thai vegetable fried rice, this Indian fried rice is my recent obsession. It is savory, spicy, and will leave your taste buds tingling!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy, filling, and full of nutritious veggies
- Effortless and easy to make
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Incredibly flavorful and delicious!
🍚The best rice for frying
Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent your fried rice from turning mushy and clumpy:
- Use medium or long grain rice - Basmati, brown rice and Jasmine rice are some varieties that are perfect for frying as they fluff up perfectly without turning mushy.
- Rinse rice thoroughly before cooking - This helps remove excess starch on the rice that cause them to clump together more. I usually rinse my rice at least 3 times, or until the water is no longer cloudy.
- Cooking rice - I highly recommend following the cooking instructions on the package, as water ratio and cooking time will differ from rice to rice. If it turn out to be mushy, chances are that you had added to much water. Take note of it and reduce the amount of water used next time.
- Drying them - Most fried rice recipe usually calls for day old rice, but freshy cooked rice will work too! The trick is to spread it out on a large plate right after cooking and place it under a fan. Let it cool completely before using.
- Breaking them up - If using refrigerated rice, remember to break clumps of rice using your hands before adding it into the pan.
🥕What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Rice - I am using brown rice here, but you could use other rice like Jasmine or basmati rice.
- It is recommended that you use rice that has been refrigerated overnight, but freshly cooked ones will work too! The tip is to spread it out on a large plate and let the rice cool completely before using.
- Curry leaves - Optional, but highly recommended! You can find it in most Asian markets. You could also try buying your curry leaves online through Amazon.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick overview of the steps involved in making Indian fried rice. The full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Heat a large non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet. Start by sauteing onion until translucent, then adding garlic and curry leaves.
Next, add all spices to a pan and fry until fragrant. Stir in carrot and bell pepper, and cook until softened.
Lastly, add rice into the pan along with the peas. Stir until everything is well incorporated. Serve and enjoy while hot!
✔Helpful tips
- Do use a large enough pan to make your fried rice. This ensures that all ingredients are cooked properly. You could also use a non-stick or cast-iron wok if you have one.
- Prep all ingredients ahead of time, and keep them near you. Frying rice is a quick process and requires constant stirring!
- Make sure to drain your veggies thoroughly before adding them to the pan. Excess moisture might cause your fried rice to turn soggy.
- To make this recipe spice-free and kid-friendly, omit chili powder.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You might have to add a splash of water when reheating your Indian fried rice.
✨Variations/add-ins
Veggies - Feel free to substitute the veg used in this recipe with any others you have on hand! Corn kernels, shredded cabbage, parboiled broccoli or cauliflower, and frozen veggie mix are excellent for this Indian fried rice.
Protein - To make this a more filling dish, add a source of plant protein like scrambled tofu or curry tofu scramble, tofu cubes, seitan chunks, or veggie mince. Alternatively, animal protein like eggs and chicken can also be added if not vegan.
Spicier - If you love spice, increase the amount of chili powder used, or add a generous pinch of chili flakes towards the end of cooking.
Other spices - This recipe is incredibly versatile, so be creative and add whatever sounds good! Garam masala, black pepper, and black mustard seeds are some examples of spices that goes well.
🍛How to serve
- Curries and stews - Some of my go-to include vegetable Madras curry, Chinese curry, and Jamaican chickpea curry.
- Asian main dishes - I recommend pairing this Indian fried rice with tofu sisig, Hunan tofu, or soya chunks masala for a heartier meal.
- Indian condiments - Dollop a generous amount of raita or chutney to bump up the flavor profile of this recipe!
- Toppings - I love topping mine with chopped peanuts, cilantro, green onion, or a generous drizzle of sriracha.
❔Commonly asked questions
You can use freshly cooked rice to make fried rice. The tip is to spread out your rice on a large plate on baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature before using.
You might have added too much water when cooking rice. This will yield clumpy rice, which will cause your fried rice to turn mushy. Keep this in mind and add less water the next time cooking rice.
Other than that, you might have added too much moisture to your fried rice, which is usually the result of not draining your veggies and other ingredients properly before adding them into the pan.
Leftover Indian fried rice can be frozen for up to 3 months. Portion it out into individual servings so you will be only taking out what you need.
When ready to enjoy, let it thaw completely before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave.
🍚More recipes using leftover rice
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📖 Recipe
Flavorful Indian Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10-12 curry leaves optional, but highly recommended
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cups cooked rice *
- ½ cup frozen peas
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat up ½-1 tablespoon of neutral tasting oil in a large non-stick/cast-iron pan over medium high heat. Once pan is heated, add onion and saute until translucent.1 medium yellow onion
- Next, stir in garlic and curry leaves. Fry until fragrant, about a minute.3 cloves garlic, 10-12 curry leaves
- Stir in all spices and fry for another minute, or until aromatic.1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Toss in carrot and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until veggies have softened.1 carrot, 1 red bell pepper
- Add rice along with green peas next. Toss until everything is well incorporated, and fry until all ingredients are hot.½ cup frozen peas, 3 cups cooked rice
- Season with salt and remove from heat. Serve and enjoy while warm!
Notes
- It is recommended that you use rice that has been refrigerated overnight, but freshly cooked ones will work too! The tip is to spread it out on a large plate and let the rice cool completely before using.
- Do use a large enough pan to make your fried rice. This ensures that all ingredients are cooked properly. You could also use a non-stick or cast-iron wok if you have one.
- Prep all ingredients ahead of time, and keep them near you. Frying rice is a quick process and requires constant stirring!
- Make sure to drain your veggies thoroughly before adding them to the pan. Excess moisture might cause your fried rice to turn soggy.
- To make this recipe spice-free and kid-friendly, omit chili powder.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You might have to add a splash of water when reheating your Indian fried rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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