How to Make Delicious Japanese Fried Rice

You can add toppings like shrimp to Japanese fried rice.

Rice is a staple of the Japanese diet and frying it is method of preparation that adds flavor. Japanese fried rice is found at Japanese steakhouses in the West, but can be recreated at home for a delicious appetizer, side or even main course. The recipe can be adjusted to your taste. Add meat like beef, shrimp, chicken or pork or make vegan Japanese fried rice by removing the eggs and substituting the tonkatsu sauce with vegan Worcestershire sauce.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups Japanese white rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. tonkatsu sauce
• A dash of minced garlic
• A dash of salt and pepper
• Cooking oil
• Frying pan
• Covered pot or rice cooker

Instructions

1. Steam the white rice. Before you fry the rice, you must steam it in a rice cooker or in a covered pot. The process takes between 20 and 40 minutes on average. When the rice is soft and edible, it is ready.

2. Coat the frying pan with oil. Add the garlic and simmer for approximately 30 seconds.

3. Add the carrots, yellow onions and green onions to the frying pan. Cook for two to three minutes. Stir frequently.

4. Drop peas and rice into mixture. Continue to stir. Cook for another minute.

5. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce and tonkatsu sauce. Stir for one minute.

6. Push the rice mixture to the edges of the frying pan and crack the eggs into the center of the pan. Stir the eggs gently for about two minutes or until they begin to scramble. Mix the eggs into the egg mixture and fry for one to two minutes more. Serve the rice.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with the vegetables, meats and spices you want to add to your fried rice. The Japanese also use ginger, sake and mirin sauce in addition to soy sauce or tonkatsu sauce.

• If you want to add a meat, put in the pan after the oil and garlic. Fry the meat a few minutes until cooked. Then add the first round of vegetables.

• Use a frying pan with high sides or you may spill the rice mixture while you cook.

References

• Visual Recipes; Japanese Fried Rice Recipe; Caroline Phelps; November 2010
• Japan Food Addict; Beef Fried Rice Recipe; April 2010