Egg and Pea Fried Rice
Leftover rice crisped in a hot pan with onion, sweet peas and soft egg. A fast, savory one-pan dinner that turns yesterday's rice into something golden and satisfying.
- Total
- 14 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 9
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Stir-frying · Sautéing
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Break the leftover rice apart with your hands or a fork so no clumps remain. Finely chop the half onion. Crack the 2 eggs into a small bowl, add a pinch of the salt and beat with a fork until the yolk and white are fully combined.
~3 min
Beating the eggs with salt begins seasoning them evenly and breaks up the yolk so they cook into a uniform, tender scramble.
-
Set a large non-stick pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Once the oil shimmers, pour in the beaten eggs and let them set for about 20 seconds, then scramble quickly until just softly set, about 1 minute. Tip the eggs onto a plate and set aside.
~1 min
Cooking the eggs first and removing them prevents them from overcooking and turning rubbery while the vegetables and rice fry.
-
Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the same pan. Add the chopped onion and stir-fry over high heat until softened and lightly golden at the edges, about 2 minutes.
~2 min
High heat softens the onion quickly and browns its edges, building sweet, savory flavor through the Maillard reaction.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep food moving, but let rice sit briefly between stirs to toast. Overcrowding steams instead of frying.
Sautéing Cook the onion in a single layer over high heat until edges turn golden. Stir too often and it sweats instead of browning.
-
Add the 80 g frozen peas straight from frozen and stir-fry for 2 minutes until bright green and hot through.
~2 min
Frying the frozen peas straight from frozen keeps them firm and bright green rather than mushy as they thaw in the pan.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep food moving, but let rice sit briefly between stirs to toast. Overcrowding steams instead of frying.
-
Add the rice and stir-fry, pressing it into the pan and letting it sit for 20 seconds at a time so it picks up golden spots, until heated through and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and the black pepper.
~3 min
Pressing the rice against the hot pan and letting it sit creates toasted, crisp golden spots instead of steaming it soft.
Cold, day-old rice is drier than fresh rice, so it toasts instead of steaming. If your rice is freshly cooked, spread it on a plate for a few minutes to dry before it hits the pan.
Let the rice sit undisturbed for short stretches between stirs. That contact with the hot pan is what builds the toasted, slightly crisp grains instead of a soft, steamed texture.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep food moving, but let rice sit briefly between stirs to toast. Overcrowding steams instead of frying.
-
Return the scrambled eggs to the pan and toss everything together for 30 seconds until the egg is warmed through and evenly mixed into the rice. Taste, adjust salt, and serve straight from the pan.
~1 min
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and keep food moving, but let rice sit briefly between stirs to toast. Overcrowding steams instead of frying.