Vegan Chinese Fried Rice
Who doesn’t like a delicious, take out like, Chinese fried rice? This Vegan Chinese Fried Rice is loaded with all the good stuff typically found in regular fried rice: chicken, eggs and even sausage; except it’s all vegan. One of the main reasons I love to make and enjoy plant-based food is the creativity that comes from attempting to veganize a dish. So you can guess I had a lot of fun making this. Check out my vegan spinach artichoke dip and vegan parmesan herb chicken for other fun and flavorful recipes I’ve created.
The Rice
Now to have a fried rice that is grainy as opposed to mushy, it’s important to use overnight rice that has spent at least 8 to 24 hours in the fridge. The reason is, once out of the fridge, any remaining moisture evaporates which helps the rice to firm up. As the rice is more firm, it is easier separate and to reabsorb moisture through the seasoning and soy sauce without making the overall dish mushy.
Can you use same day rice to make fried rice? yes, but ONLY if you spread out the rice on a large surface (like on a tray) and you allow it to cool down completely. You can even let it cool down in the fridge for a few minutes to a few hours. Now, will you obtain a fried rice that’s grainy like the one in your local Chinese take out? Not really. It will taste really good, but the texture will be slightly different.
Vegan Scrambled Eggs
Any regular fried rice call for some type of scrambled eggs. Now if you’ve followed me for a while, you should know that I love my scrambled tofu. Check out my best scrambled tofu recipe here. For this I used some extra firm tofu that I crushed randomly with my fingers, making sure I still keep some texture. The tofu is seasoned with kala malak or black salt (which gives the best eggy flavor) and turmeric.
Place a wok on medium heat then add the scrambled tofu (no need to add any oil since the tofu has moisture). Sautéed for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the tofu turns golden brown. Then set it aside.
‘Chicken’ Replacement
Since we’re mimicking a chicken fried rice, I also used extra firm tofu, that I cut it strips and seasoned them with soy sauce, salt and pepper and the agave syrup. Also add corn starch to neutralize the moisture; then mix everything to incorporate the ingredients.
Grease your grill with some cooking spray and place the tofu strips on the grill (I use the George Foreman Grill). Let the strips grill for about five minutes then set them aside.
Vegan Sausage
Adding some vegan sausage is completely optional, but I think it adds a nice texture to the overall dish. For the sausage I used Tofurky Italian sausage. On the wok used for the scrambled eggs, add the diced tofurky sausage and toast them for a minute or two just to dry them up, then set them aside.
Making the Fried Rice
Still on the same wok, add the coconut oil and sesame oil as well as the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry them for a minute or so. The aroma of these is just incredible.
Crushed the overnight rice so that it’s grainy, then add it to the garlic and ginger and mix well for optimum flavor.
Add the mixed vegetables, scrambled tofu, the tofurkey sausage, the grilled tofu strips, a strong flavor soy sauce (I used the HemisFares Double Fermented soy sauce), the salt and pepper, and the agave syrup.
Then mix everything for all the flavors to be absorbed. Continue to toss everything for about 5 minutes, then add the green onions to finish up. Our Vegan Chinese Fried is ready! This is one of those recipes that you’ll find yourself finding an excuse to make whenever you have leftover rice because it’s just that good. Enjoy!
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VEGAN CHINESE FRIED RICE
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups Cooked Basmati Rice cooked the day before and placed in the fridge overnight
- 1 Cup Mixed Vegetables I used the frozen package
- 1 Cup Chopped Green Onions
- 5 oz Scrambled tofu see recipe below
- 6 oz Tofu cut in strips see recipe below
- 1/2 Link Tofurky Sausage cut in cubes
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tsp Grated Ginger
- 1/4 Cup Strong Flavor Soy Sauce I used HemisFares Double Fermented Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Agave Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
- Salt + Pepper to Taste
Scrambled Tofu
- 5 oz Extra firm tofu
- 1/4 Tsp Black Salt
- Dash of Turmeric
Tofu Strips
- 1 Tsp Corn Starch
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tsp Agave Syrup
- Pinch Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Tofu Strips
- To the tofu strips, add the corn starch, soy sauce, salt and pepper and the agave syrup and mix everything to incorporate the ingredients.
- Grease your grill with some cooking spray and place the tofu strips on the grill (I use the George Foreman Grill). Let the strips grill for about five minutes then set them aside.
Scrambled Tofu
- Add the black salt and turmeric on the scrambled tofu and mix to incorporate.
- Place a wok on medium heat then add the scrambled tofu (no need to add any oil since the tofu has moisture). Sautéed for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the tofu turns golden brown. Then set it aside.
Fried Rice
On the same wok, add the diced tofurkey sausage and toast them for a minute or two just to dry them, then set it aside (this step is optional).
- Still on the same wok, add the coconut oil and sesame oil as well as the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry them for a minute or so.
- Crushed the overnight rice so that it's grainy, then add it to the garlic and ginger and mix well for optimum flavor.
- Add the mixed vegetables, scrambled tofu, the tofurkey sausage, the grilled tofu strips, the HemisFares Double Fermented soy sauce, the salt and pepper, and the agave syrup. Then mix everything for all the flavors to be absorbed. Continue to toss everything for about 5 minutes, then add the green onions to finish up.
