Vegan Indo-Chinese Pulao (Fried Rice) from The Modern Tiffin by Priyanka Naik
You’ve heard of fried rice, right? But did you know different Indian cuisines have fried rice, too, but we don’t call it fried rice? It’s usually referred to as masala rice or, in Kannada, we call it wahgarni anna, which is leftover basmati rice that is flash-fried with whole spices, ground spices, and sometimes onions and fresh cilantro. So, my vegan Indo-Chinese Pulao is a culmination of (American) Chinese fried rice and Indian masala rice—the best of both worlds, eh? Plus, this is a superb way to use up all that rice that you ordered with your takeout (don’t lie, I know you’re a culprit of over-ordering like the rest of us!). The fun thing about this dish is that you can add whatever veggies you like! You really can’t go wrong. As long as you get the balance right between sweet, savory, spicy, crunchy, and salty—you’re golden!
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Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 Indian green chilies - slit in half lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic - sliced
- 1 scallion - thinly sliced on the bias, white and green parts separated
- ¾ cup leftover white rice - see Notes
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon raw cane sugar
- 1 small yellow onion - diced
- 1 small carrot - diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted raw cashews - coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons green peas
- Pinch of white pepper Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro - stems and all!
Instructions
- MAKE THE VEGGIES: Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the neutral and sesame oils. Once the oil is shimmering with ripples, lower the heat to medium and add the green chilies, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion, carrot, and cashews, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the peas and the white parts of the scallion.
- RICE IT UP: Once the vegetables are fork-tender, add the rice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and white pepper. Give it a vigorous toss, making sure everything is incorporated and nothing is sticking to the pan. After 1 minute, give it a taste. Add salt if necessary.
- GARNISH AND SERVE: Remove from the heat and place into your tiffin or a shallow serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining green part of the scallions and the cilantro. Fun fact: I packed this rice dish for my dad at 8:00 one morning and he said it tasted incredible 5 hours later when he ate it from his tiffin. Needless to say, it packs well!
Notes
This recipe is best when using day-old rice, like leftover rice from takeout/delivery. If you need to make fresh rice, wash ⅓ cup basmati rice in water at least 5 times or until the water runs clear. Soak for 30 minutes. Then pour ⅔ cup water into a small pot, and add the rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until fluffy, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before using for this recipe.
Green arbol chili peppers or serrano chili peppers can be substituted for Indian green chilies.
Find more of Priyanka's recipes on her website and Instagram.
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