Egg and Spring Onion Fried Rice
Day-old rice tossed over high heat with softly scrambled eggs, sweet spring onions and a glossy soy glaze. A fast, savory one-pan meal that comes together in minutes.
- Total
- 17 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 12
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Absorption rice · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in the small saucepan with 300 ml water and bring to a boil over high heat.
~3 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the grains cook separate instead of turning gluey.
Absorption rice Use the lid-on, low-heat method and wait until the water is fully absorbed before fluffing; peeking or stirring early makes the rice gummy.
-
Cover the saucepan, drop the heat to low and cook until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, about 8 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered for 2 minutes, then fluff with a fork and spread it on a plate to cool slightly.
~10 min
Resting off the heat lets residual steam finish the grains and firm them before frying.
Spread the just-cooked rice on a plate to cool before it hits the pan; drier grains fry and toast instead of steaming into a soft clump.
Absorption rice Use the lid-on, low-heat method and wait until the water is fully absorbed before fluffing; peeking or stirring early makes the rice gummy.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the rice cooks, slice the spring onions thinly, keeping the white and green parts separate. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork until the yolks and whites are just combined.
~3 min
-
Set the frying pan over high heat. Pour in the eggs and scramble them quickly until just set but still soft, about 1 minute, then tip them onto a plate.
~1 min
Cooking eggs only until just set keeps them soft, since they will warm through again in the pan.
-
Add the white spring onion parts to the hot pan and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes, pressing it into the pan so some grains toast and turn lightly golden.
~2 min
Pressing rice against the hot pan dries its surface, toasting grains for nutty flavor instead of steaming.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep the rice moving, pressing it down briefly to toast; a crowded or cool pan steams the grains instead.
-
Return the eggs to the pan, pour in 1.5 tbsp soy sauce and toss everything together for 1 minute until the rice is glossy and evenly coated. Stir through the green spring onion tops and serve straight away.
~1 min
Adding soy sauce at the end keeps its aroma fresh and glossy rather than cooked flat.
Keep the pan properly hot and add the soy sauce around the edge rather than the center so it sizzles and coats the rice instead of soaking in.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep the rice moving, pressing it down briefly to toast; a crowded or cool pan steams the grains instead.