Vegetable Fried Brown Rice

When I was little,

my mom used to make fried rice whenever we had leftover rice.  I remember the sizzle of the pan as she pressed the rice into the pan to give it an extra crisp.  Mom’s fried rice was always better than take-out fried rice.  I thought take out fried rice was too slippery– and now, I realize that the “slipperiness” (is that a word?) was just pools of oil and butter.

This simple Fried Brown Rice is a healthier and whole grain version of the popular Chinese dish.

It has just a tad of oil, loads of veggies, some lean protein and brown rice.  Although lighter than take-out, it manages to maintain it’s comforting, satisfying and filling taste.

I did my best to mimic my mom’s deliciously crispy fried rice.  I used brown rice instead of traditional white rice, and I must say, I did a pretty darn good job.

Side note, I don’t believe broccoli is typically in Fried Rice.  However, because it is one of my favorite vegetables, it goes in almost every dish!  Here, I made sure to chop it up small so it was equal to the peas and carrots.

I’ve been on such an Asian kick since making these Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce.  This Fried Brown Rice is adding to the collection and I’ve got more to come!

Pro tip: Once everything is in the pan, make sure you flatten the rice into the pan.  Press with a spatula and be patient.  Let the rice brown and crisp up!

Try it for yourself– this recipe is super simple!  It looks a bit long, but only because there are plenty of veggies!

Print Recipe

Vegetable Fried Brown Rice

A simple and healthy whole grain version of Fried Rice with loads of veggies!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Author: The Fresh Find

Ingredients

• 3 cups brown rice cooked
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup carrots chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup broccoli chopped
• 2/3 cup onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp sesame oil
• 3 green onion stalks for garnish
• Optional: tofu or chicken breast

Instructions

• Scramble 3 eggs in a small pan. Set aside.
• In a large pan, sauté garlic, ginger, onions and carrots in 1 tbsp of olive oil. (Medium high heat)
• After 3-4 minutes, add broccoli and chicken breast (use tofu for vegetarian)
• Add 2.5 tbsp soy sauce and 1.5 tsp of sesame oil.
• Add 3 cups of brown rice, 1 cup of frozen peas and scrambled eggs.
• Using a spatula, flatten and press rice into the pan. Allow the rice to crisp. Stir again and flatten into pan. Continue until desired "crisp" of rice.
• Serve with green onions!