My favorite type of leftovers
Growing up with a half Japanese father meant we had rice in the fridge. My dad always hated leftovers with one exception, white rice. White rice gives you a blank slate to add veggies, seasoning, and new flavors from the night before. It is almost like "add the kitchen sink" and hope for the best kind of meal. Although this veggie fried rice is made simple, naturally vegan ( I don’t add egg), comes together in minutes, and is loaded with vegetables.
P.S. The reason the rice should be a day old is because it needs to be dried out to give you the perfect texture. Cooking with fresh rice results in a soggy texture due to the added moisture. So the next time you order take out, or cook rice at home, be sure you have enough to throw in the fridge to make this dish the next day.
Ingredients
1 bell pepper
4 peeled carrots
2 springs of green onion
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 white onion minced
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vegan butter
1 knob of ginger grated
1 tsp chili oil
2 cups of day old rice
1/4 cup of soy sauce
Sesame seeds for garnish
Preparation
1. Finely chop the bell pepper and carrots. Mince the onion and garlic. Finely chop the green onion, separating the green and white parts.
2. Add the sesame oil to a pan. Add the white onion and white parts of the green onion once the oil is hot. Sauté until translucent, roughly 3 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper, carrots and cook until tender, roughly 5 minutes. Then add the garlic.
4. Once the veggies are tender, add in the vegan butter, grate the ginger into the pan, and add the chili oil. Stir until combined.
5. Then add in the leftover rice, stirring until combined and add the soy sauce.
6. Finish by adding the frozen peas and mix until everything is integrated.
7. Cover with a lid and cook on low until the bottom of the rice becomes crispy, roughly another 5 minutes.
8. Plate and garnish with the green onion tops and sesame seeds. Enjoy!