Love Indo-Chinese food, make street-style Indo Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice to your table. Quick, easy and flavorful recipe. Full of wok-fried goodness and lots of vegetables . Don’t be surprised if this becomes your new family favorite.
Come JOIN US on Instagram @thebellyrulesthemind.official and Pinterest @Bellyrulesdmind and be a part of our community and discuss various recipes, tips and tricks.
- What is Indo-Chinese Fried Rice?
- Origin Story: How Indo-Chinese Fried Rice is Different from Chinese Fried Rice
- Ingredients to make Veg. Fried Rice
- Instructions
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Serving Suggestions and Pairing Ideas
- Final Thoughts
- Pairing
- Street-Style Indo-Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice
What is Indo-Chinese Fried Rice?
If you have had the pleasure of tasting Indo-Chinese fried Rice, then you definitely know it’s not completely Indian not completely Chinese , but a perfect medley of both. It’s made with cold leftover rice or you can cook rice ahead of time and allow it to cool. It’s stir-fried in the wok with lots of veggies , aromatics and some sauces . It’s quick, crunchy, and full of flavor.
Origin Story: How Indo-Chinese Fried Rice is Different from Chinese Fried Rice
Did you know Indo-Chinese food was actually born in India ? Yep not in China - but right in the bustling city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). In the early 1900’s many Chinese families from the Hakka Community migrated to Kolkatta. They carried their amazing cooking traditions with them. So they began to marry some of the Chinese cooking techniques such as wok frying and flavors like soy sauce with Indian flavor profiles (think green chilies, garlic, vinegar etc). And this is how Indo-Chinese food became a cuisine, bridging both cultures.
I first tasted Indo-Chinese Veg. Fried Rice in India, when I was in college at a road-side stall just outside our campus. I still remember my first bite and how I was in love with the crunchy textures and bold flavors. That street side stall soon became our Friday lunch favorite.
Ingredients to make Veg. Fried Rice
Here is a gist of ingredients to make Indo-Chinese Veg. Fried Rice. See recipe card for details.
Instructions
- Cook and Cool Your Rice: Boil water with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil, then add rice. Cook until 80% done (al-dente). Strain, rinse under cold water, drain well, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before stir-frying
- Get Your Veggies Ready: Chop everything before you start cooking. It makes the cooking process much smoother. I chop everything the size of a pea. You can even choose to julienne your veggies. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, green onions and green chilies.
- Heat Your Wok: Make your wok very hot, then add oil and swirl it around.
- Cook the Flavorful Stuff: Fry the garlic, ginger, green chilies first and part of the spring onions. It smells amazing!
- Add the Veggies: On high heat cook the carrots first before adding bell peppers, green beans and cabbage (if using). Cook everything for 2-3 minutes. Keep them crunchy.
- Add Flavors: Put in soy sauce, vinegar, green chili sauce, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the Rice: Gently mix in the cooled rice. Make sure each grain gets some sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Top with fresh spring onion greens and a bit of lemon juice if you like.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | What Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Using fresh rice | Rice becomes too soft | Use day-old cold rice for better texture |
| Cooking veggies too long | Veggies become soft and mushy | Cook on high heat for just a few minutes |
| Not preparing ingredients beforehand | You might burn food or rush | Get everything ready before you start cooking |
| Putting too much in the wok | Food steams instead of frying | Cook in smaller amounts if needed |
| Using too much sauce | Rice becomes too wet | Use small amounts of sauce for flavor |
Serving Suggestions and Pairing Ideas
- If you want use this for an Indo Chinese meal, it goes well with Veg Manchurian , Crispy Gobi Manchurian , Hakka Noodles , Sweet Corn Soup, Manchow Soup .
- Add toasted sesame seeds on top for extra crunch.
- Serve with spicy schezwan sauce if you like it hot!
- My son loves taking it for his school lunch as is.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, for me Veg. Fried Rice is a dish that always feels like a celebration when I make it even on a normal day. I love the crunchy veggies, smoky wok flavors, and the kick from the chili sauce, it’s everything you need in one bite .
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with fried rice.
- Vegetable Manchurian Gravy
- Vegetable Hakka Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked basmati, basmati sella or sano masoori rice cold and refrigerated
- 2 tablespoon oil preferably sesame or any neutral oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit or finely chopped
- ¼ cup spring onion whites, chopped
- ¼ cup carrots, diced or julienned
- ¼ cup bell peppers (mixed colors), diced or thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cabbage (optional), shredded
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium if possible
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon green chili sauce adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Salt to taste go easy because sauces are salty
- 2 tablespoon spring onion greens, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Cook and Cool Your Rice: Boil water with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil, then add rice. Cook until 80% done (al-dente). Strain, rinse under cold water, drain well, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before stir-frying
- Get Your Veggies Ready: Chop everything before you start cooking. It makes the cooking process much smoother. I chop everything the size of a pea. You can even choose to julienne your veggies. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, green onions and green chilies.
- Heat Your Wok: Make your wok very hot, then add oil and swirl it around.
- Cook the Flavorful Stuff: Fry the garlic, ginger, green chilies first and part of the spring onions. It smells amazing!
- Add the Veggies: On high heat cook the carrots first before adding bell peppers, green beans and cabbage (if using). Cook everything for 2-3 minutes. Keep them crunchy.
- Add Flavors: Put in soy sauce, allow it to caramelize a couple minutes before adding vinegar, green chili sauce, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the Rice: Gently mix in the cooled rice. Make sure each grain gets some sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Top with fresh spring onion greens and a bit of lemon juice if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked basmati, basmati sella or sano masoori rice cold and refrigerated
- 2 tablespoon oil preferably sesame or any neutral oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit or finely chopped
- ¼ cup spring onion whites, chopped
- ¼ cup carrots, diced or julienned
- ¼ cup bell peppers (mixed colors), diced or thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cabbage (optional), shredded
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium if possible
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon green chili sauce adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Salt to taste go easy because sauces are salty
- 2 tablespoon spring onion greens, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Cook and Cool Your Rice: Boil water with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil, then add rice. Cook until 80% done (al-dente). Strain, rinse under cold water, drain well, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before stir-frying
- Get Your Veggies Ready: Chop everything before you start cooking. It makes the cooking process much smoother. I chop everything the size of a pea. You can even choose to julienne your veggies. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, green onions and green chilies.
- Heat Your Wok: Make your wok very hot, then add oil and swirl it around.
- Cook the Flavorful Stuff: Fry the garlic, ginger, green chilies first and part of the spring onions. It smells amazing!
- Add the Veggies: On high heat cook the carrots first before adding bell peppers, green beans and cabbage (if using). Cook everything for 2-3 minutes. Keep them crunchy.
- Add Flavors: Put in soy sauce, allow it to caramelize a couple minutes before adding vinegar, green chili sauce, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the Rice: Gently mix in the cooled rice. Make sure each grain gets some sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Top with fresh spring onion greens and a bit of lemon juice if you like.
