Learn how to make The Best Thai restaurant-style Curry Fried Rice at home with colorful veggies and curry powder. This 20-minute vegetarian fried rice recipe is quick and easy to make with pantry ingredients. It is vegan and gluten-free, customizable with your favorite mix-ins, and makes a hearty and balanced meal or a side dish.
I love this stir fry curry with fried rice because it is better than takeout. Similar to Vegetable Lo Mein Noodles, Kung Pao Tofu, Chili Garlic Noodles and Vegetarian Fried Rice , this is my favorite Asian food.
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What is Curry Fried Rice ?
Thai curry Fried rice is popular Asian rice dish. Cooked rice is seasoned with delicious curry seasoning and tossed with sautéed veggies and finished with bright tangy lemon juice and herbs. This delicious rice is perfect for light meal on it's own or as a side dish.
You can also add some protein like air fryer tofu or Smoky Tofu to make it a satisfying one pot meal.
What sets curried fried rice apart from other rice dishes is its bold and complex flavor profile. At the heart of this dish lies the aromatic blend of spices that define curry – turmeric, cumin, coriander, and more.
When combined with the umami richness of lemon juice, the sweetness of onions, and the crunch of vegetables, the result is a harmonious marriage of flavors that dance on your palate with every bite.
Whether you prefer it mild and fragrant or fiery and intense, curry fried rice can be customized to suit your taste preferences, making it a versatile dinner choice.
Ingredients
Exact measurement is listed in the recipe card below. Here's a brief overview
- Cooked cold rice - This recipe tastes best if made using pre cooked and cooled rice. Typically day-old rice works best.
- Cooking oil - I like to use sesame oil for Asian dishes
- Vegetables : Celery, carrots, yellow onion or Spring onion, Snow peas and red bell pepper. Feel free to use your favorites. You can also add frozen peas.
- Curry powder- this is the star of the recipe. I prefer to use yellow curry powder with turmeric. You can use your favorite.
- Other Spices and Seasoning : Minced Ginger and Garlic cloves , Spicy Red Pepper Sauce, Chili Sauce or any other hot sauce - adjust according to your spice tolerance.
- Salt and ground black pepper per taste
- Lime or lemon juice to taste
- Optional : You can use eggs (beaten eggs) in this recipe.
How to Make
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic and ginger to the skillet, and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced bell pepper, celery and carrot to the skillet, and continue to sauté until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, and add the chilled cooked rice to the empty side. Break up any clumps of rice with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the curry powder over the rice, and stir-fry everything together until the rice is well-coated with the curry powder and heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen peas, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the peas are heated through. (optional)
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the rice, and toss everything together until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the curry fried rice to serving plates or bowls.
- Garnish with spice red chili sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro, or peanuts if desired, and serve hot.
💡Pro Tips
- 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.
- If you do not have curry powder readily available, use this comprehensive list of Curry Powder Substitutes.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
This curry fried rice pairs well with whole lot of Vegetarian sides like Ginger Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fry or Delicious Chinese Spicy Eggplant.
For a scrumptious Asian meal, serve it as a side to Miso Glazed Grilled Veggies and Gochujang Spiced Brussel Sprouts.
While curry fried rice is best enjoyed fresh, you can make it ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve. Store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to the rice to prevent it from drying out, and stir-fry until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
For the best results in curry fried rice, opt for long grain rice varieties such as jasmine rice or basmati rice. They have slender grains that stay separate when cooked. Using chilled leftover rice from the refrigerator ensures a firmer texture and prevents clumping during stir-frying, resulting in a fluffy and flavorful dish. Avoid using sticky rice varieties like glutinous rice or arborio rice.
While you can use freshly cooked rice, using leftover rice that has been chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight is recommended for the best texture. Chilled rice grains are firmer and less likely to clump together during stir-frying, resulting in a better overall dish.
Yes, you can use curry paste instead of curry powder for a more intense and authentic flavor. Adjust the amount according to your taste preferences, as curry paste ( red curry paste) tends to be more concentrated than curry powder. Mix the curry paste with a bit of water or coconut milk to ensure even distribution throughout the rice.
While curry fried rice is best enjoyed fresh, you can make it ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve. Store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When reheating, use microwave and add a splash of water or broth to the rice to prevent it from drying out, and stir-fry until heated through.
My Favorite Thai Food Recipes
- Thai Red Curry
- Thai Pumpkin and Peanut Curry
- Vegetarian Massaman Curry
- Tom Kha Soup
- Thai Green Curry with Tofu
- Thai Zucchini Noodles
★ If you make this Curry Fried Rice Recipe , do let us know how you like it by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Curry Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cup cooked rice
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil or cooking oil
Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon minced Ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon spicy red chili sauce adjust per taste
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper per taste
- 1 Tablespoon lime or lemon juice
Veggies ( optional) use your favorites
- ½ cup diced Celery
- ½ cup yellow onion or Spring onions
- 1 cup Snow peas- ends trimmed
- 1 cup Sweet bell peppers
- ½ cup carrots diced
- ½ cup frozen peas optional
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic and ginger to the skillet, and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced bell pepper, celery and carrot to the skillet, and continue to sauté until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, and add the chilled cooked rice to the empty side. Break up any clumps of rice with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the curry powder over the rice, and stir-fry everything together until the rice is well-coated with the curry powder and heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen peas, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the peas are heated through. (optional)
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the rice, and toss everything together until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the curry fried rice to serving plates or bowls.
- Garnish with spice red chili sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro, or peanuts if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published on July 16, 2019. It is updated and republished with enhancements and instant pot instruction on April 13, 2024
Evelyn
Ahhh look very god!!!!!!!