Curry Fried Rice

Golden turmeric hued Curry Fried rice served with colorful veggies on black background and chopsticks with lime wedges
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Curry Fried Rice – Thai restaurant-style, colorful rice perfectly seasoned and loaded with veggies and flavors –A balanced meal easy to whip up on weeknights.

Let’s call this recipe “low maintenance-high flavors ” ..shall we? Simple ingredients, easy steps yet incredibly delicious and satisfying!! Trust me you are gonna love it too.

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Curry spice infused rice simmered with aromatics , tossed with sautéed veggies and finished with bright tangy lemons and herbs.. nom nom delish !!

You can make this Thai Curry Fried Rice recipe on stove top or in electric pressure cooker like InstantPot . Either works just as good.

This zesty Curry Rice is Vegan, Gluten free and easy to customize as per your diet needs. And it’s easy to make. One pot and 20 minutes is all you need to make this fragrant and spicy rice !!

Close up shot of Curry Fried Rice with snow peas and red peppers

Even though it’s called fried rice, technically nothing is fried here. So rest easy !! Everything is sizzled in flavorful curry powder that brings out wonderful aroma. And a slight crunch to make it perfectly delectable!
Sizzling Curry Rice is staple in Asian cuisine. You can change it up to make it different varieties. Sometimes, I add chunks of pineapple in the mix so it becomes Thai Pineapple Curry Rice. You can add tofu to make it Protine rich one pot meal.

The curry powder includes Turmeric powder that gives beautiful golden hue to the rice. Some Authentic Thai Curry Rice recipes include extra turmeric powder in the ingredients. However, the turmeric aroma can become overwhelming so I just use curry powder for this recipe.

Fried rice is one of my favorite fast and easy dinners. I admit, I often cook more rice than I need — just so there’s some ready for a bowl of fried rice the next day! Because fried rice tastes amazing with leftover rice too !!

You can easily swap oil for some broth to make this Curry Fried Rice WFPB compliant. To make it keto and low carb use cauliflower rice instead of white rice. If you prefer, replace white rice with brown rice, quinoa for a new, healthier-tastier version.
The rice used for Thai Curry fried rice is often jasmine or sticky rice. I had Basmati rice at hand since that’s what I often cook for most Indian dishes like Delicious Turmeric Lemon Rice with peanuts or Classic Spicy Vegetable Masala Rice.. But feel free to use any type of rice you have in your pantry.

Thai CUrry Fried Rice overhead shot

The goal here is to convert bland batch of white rice into sizzling delicious and colorful lip-smacking goodness. The curry powder, aromatics and mix-ins do exactly that. Bold and the beautiful like a sunshine !!

You can prep a big batch for the week and enjoy it on repeat. School or office lunches never looked so bright and beautiful and healthy and delicious. However, I must admit, we rarely have anything left after a scrumptious dinner.

However, about 15-20 minutes is what it takes to bring this dish from scratch to table. Even faster if you have cooked rice ready. So you can devour it as fresh as you wish in time !!

This take out inspired classic Thai rice makes a quick and convenient dinner for a busy night. I am in love with these “fake out” meals. So much healthier than ordering, as you can control all of the ingredients that go into it.

This curry fried rice pairs well with mostly all Asian Inspired Vegetarian Recipes like Ginger Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fry or Delicious Chinese Spicy Eggplant. For a low carb easy recipe, try to pair it with our popular Eggroll in a bowl

You can also use it as a side dish for bbq, potlucks or picnics.. afterall, we all need variety to spice things up. Don’t we?

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Golden turmeric hued Curry Fried rice served with colorful veggies on black background and chopsticks with lime wedges

What are the ingredients of Curry Fried Rice?

* Veggies like Celery, Spring onion, Snow peas and Colored peppers
* Curry powder– this is the star of the recipe. So use your favorite. Here’s link to the one we like the most.
* Ginger Garlic shredded
* Green Dragon Sauce or any other hot sauce – adjust according to your spice tolerance.
* Soaked rice and water to cook the rice
* Cooking oil – I like to use sesame oil for Asian dishes
* Salt and ground black pepper per taste
* Lime or lemon juice to taste

How to make Curry Fried Rice without frying or using a whole lot of oil ?

After the rice and veggies are mixed together, I keep them cooking few extra minutes on medium heat. It helps bring out the crispiness and slight burnt /crunch to the rice. The goal is to let the water evaporate. But you have to be watchful during this step other wise yo end up with dark burnt layer which is bitter.
So you press the rice down into the skillet. Using your spatula, flatten it down. Let the rice sit like this, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. After 2-3 minutes, give it a good stir, scraping crispy toasted layer from the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process 2-3 times, until you get the desired amount of crispiness in your rice. DO let us know how it turns out for you.
Also, I prefer not to pressure cook the veggies with rice since I like different textures instead of mushy veggies. However, if you want to make this recipe truly dump and go, you can ! Just dump all ingredients in the InstantPot and cook at once. Just 5 extra minutes of sautéing the veggies separately makes a big difference between mushy gulp vs tender textured veggies. So choice is yours 🙂

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Curry Fried Rice

Curry Fried Rice

Super easy and quick Thai Curry Fried Rice. Glutenfree and vegan rice is seasoned with colorful veggies and golden turmeric curry powder. 20 minute easy recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup diced Celery
  • 1/2 cup Spring onion cut into pieces
  • 1 cup Snow peas- ends trimmed
  • 1 cup Colored peppers - cut into stripes
  • 1 tablespoon Curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger shredded
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Green dragon hot sauce - adjust per taste
  • 1 cup Soaked rice
  • 1.5 cups water to cook the rice
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper per taste
  • lime or lemon juice to taste

Instructions

    Stovetop Instructions:

    1. Cook the rice: Rinse 1 cup long grain rice in cold water really well. Drain the washed water and add to a saucepan with 1.5 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 mins. Let it sit covered for another 5 mins, then fluff well with fork. Use immediately or if you want to use it for later, cool completely then cover and refrigerate .

    2. Make the vegetables 

    Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over moderate heat. Add the ginger /garlic and onions, and sauté until fragrant, approx. 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep garlic from browning.Add the celery, colored peppers  and snow peas. Sauté for approx. 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the curry powder, plus a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Stir to combine evenly throughout the vegetables.  Lower the heat.

    3. Mix the curried vegetables and rice together 

    Add the cooked rice to the skillet in batches, stirring to coat. Make sure the rice and cooked vegetables are mixed well together. Add the Green Dragon SAuce or other hot sauce. Remove skillet from heat, adjust the seasoning. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and lime juice (optional), and serve warm. Enjoy with gusto 🙂

    4. Extra Saute for crispy / fried rice texture ( optional step)

    Bring the heat to medium and press the rice down into the skillet. Using your spatula, flattening it down. Let the rice sit like this, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. After 2-3 minutes, give it a good stir, scraping crispy toasted layer from the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process 2-3 times, until you get the desired amount of crispiness in your rice. Your crispy toasty layered Curry Fried Rice is Ready to devour ! 

    InstantPot Directions
    1. Start InstantPot on sauté mode. Once it warms up, add oil. Wait for few seconds so oil is warm. Add ginger, garlic and let it sizzle.  You should sense the aroma. Add the veggies and curry powder, salt and pepper. Sauté on high for 3-5 minutes stirring frequently. Once veggies look cooked and tender, CANCEL sauté function. Remove the mixture from InstantPot and set aside.
    2. Add soaked rice in the main insert of instant pot. Add water and mix well.  Close the lid and valve in SEALING position. Choose MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK  mode on high for 6 minutes.  InstantPot will do the cooking and will beep when it's done. Wait for 5 minutes on keep warm timer and then release the leftovers pressure manually by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid carefully.

    3. Add the sautéed veggies to the main insert. Add Green Dragon Sauce. Using a spatula, mix everything well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Garnish with chopped green onions and squeezed lime juice. Serve warm. Enjoy !!
    4. Extra Sauté for crispy / fried rice texture ( optional step)
    Press SAUTE mode on InstantPot and press the rice down with your spatula, so it flattens. Let the rice sit like this, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. After 2-3 minutes, give it a good stir, scraping crispy toasted layer from the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process 2-3 times, until you get the desired amount of crispiness in your rice. Cancel Sauté. Your crispy toasty layered Curry Fried Rice is Ready to devour ! Enjoy with gusto 🙂

Notes

I prefer not to pressure cook the veggies with rice since I like different textures instead of mushy veggies. However, if you want to make this recipe truly dump and go, you can !  Just dump all ingredients in the InstantPot and cook at once.  Just 5 extra minutes of sautéing the veggies separately makes a big difference between mushy gulp vs  tender textured veggies.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
Nutritional values are provided as a courtesy and the values are approximate. The values will change depending on the exact ingredients, measurements and brands used. As always, for specific health issues and dietary requirements please consult medical professional.
© Pranjali Abhyankar
Cuisine: Chinese / Category: Dinner

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