Veg Schezwan fried rice is one of the most preferred rice recipes known for its spicy, zesty, and aromatic flavor. This easy-to-cook Chinese recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. While you can cook it from scratch, you can turn your leftover rice into zesty Schezwan fried rice.
This step-by-step guide will help you make veg schezwan fried rice using wholesome ingredients. I’m sure everyone in your family will love this delicious rice recipe.
About Veg Schezwan Fried Rice
Veg Schezwan Fried Rice is a lip-smacking, gratifying dish that is easy to make and adjust to your needs. This popular Chinese recipe has been adapted around the globe. You can make it using different ingredients and techniques.
This schezwan fried rice recipe is completely vegetarian and includes schezwan sauce and loads of veggies. The spicy and tangy flavors of garlic, vinegar, and dry chili pepper are sure to transfer you into the world of flavor.
Tip: Make homemade schezwan sauce or buy your preferred brand from the store.
You can add the vegetables of your choice and use a wok or pan for frying.
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Veg Schezwan Fried Rice
Here is how you can make veg schezwan fried rice —
Cook rice (you can take leftover rice as well)
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First, you need to rinse one cup of basmati rice or long-grain rice of your choice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. After that, soak the rice in fresh water for about 20 to 30 minutes.
When the rice is soaked well, drain the water and keep it aside.
- Take 3.5 cups of water in a pan. Add half a teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon oil to the water and boil. You can add any natural-tasting oil to it.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the rice.
- Set the flame to medium, low, and simmer until the rice grains are cooked.
- Use a mesh strainer or colander to strain the rice. Drain the rice completely until the starch is removed. You can consider rinsing it with water while gently moving the rice using a spoon during straining.
Once done, cover and keep the rice aside at room temperature. Let it cool completely. Meanwhile, you can prepare the vegetables and other ingredients.
Preparing and Stir-Frying Veggies
- Chop French beans, cabbage, button mushrooms, and carrots finely. If you don’t want to chop carrots and cabbage, you can shred them instead.
Make sure you finely chop French beans as they take longer to cook. If required, you can blanch the beans before stir-frying. Another option you can follow is to stir fry the beans first and then other veggies.
- Heat oil in a wok or a pan. Add half a teaspoon of finely chopped garlic and sauté it for a few minutes.
- Once the garlic becomes a little fragrant, add all the chopped vegetables as mentioned below:
- ⅓ Cup French beans (finely chopped)
- ½ Cup cabbage (finely chopped)
- ⅓ to ½ Cup carrots (finely chopped)
- ⅓ Cup capsicum or green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ⅓ Cup spring onion whites (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon celery – optional (finely chopped)
- Set the heat to medium-high or high and stir the vegetables. Keep stirring until the veggies are light brown. It will take a few minutes. (Please note that the time can vary depending on the pan's thickness or wok.)
- Once veggies are stir-fried, add 2 tbs of homemade or store-bought schezwan sauce.
Making schezwan fried rice
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Mix thoroughly once you have added the sauce to the stir-fried veggies.
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Now, add rice in portions and gently mix the rice with sauce-coated veggies. Stir gently to avoid the breakage of rice grains.
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Add salt as required, along with half a teaspoon of crushed black pepper or powder and half a teaspoon of rice vinegar.
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Now, mix the stir fry for about 2 to 3 minutes by tossing the rice. This will allow the sauce to coat the rice well. Taste to check the salt and pepper and schezwan mix.
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Sprinkle chopped spring onions for garnishing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the schezwan fried rice with Veg Manchurian, Mushroom Manchurian, or Gobi Manchurian.
You can enjoy it as a lunch or dinner dish with salad and other vegetables as well.
Expert Tips
For a perfect smoky flavor
If you want to make a tremendous stir-fried dish, make sure it gets the smoky flavor. For that, you need to use the right technique for stir-frying. This needs you to continue stirring the ingredients as the dish needs high heat for cooking. Keep moving the rice and vegetables until it gets a brown sear. Use a carbon steel wok or cast-iron skillet to avoid burning.
Prep in advance
Make sure to have all your seasonings and sauces prepared before starting the stir-frying. You will have to prep each ingredient quickly and observe closely while stir-frying so that no ingredient burns while you prepare another. So have everything chopped, mixed, and ready in advance.
Al dente rice
When the rice is cooked and thoroughly cooled before frying makes the tastiest fried rice. Over steamed rice ends up being mushy when frying. So, cook the rice until it is al dente.
Schezwan sauce
You can prepare a delicious schezwan sauce in advance and use it while making schezwan fried rice. However, if you cannot prepare it at home, use a store brought schezwan sauce.
Use leftover rice if needed
If you have extra rice, store it in a sealed container and keep it in the refrigerator for one day. Then, reheat it on the stove or microwave to stir fry it with schezwan sauce and other veggies. Make sure you add a teaspoon of water during heating to make the rice bit fluffier again.
Swap ingredients
You can bring variations to your schezwan fried rice by substituting or adding vegetables like bok choy, zucchini, baby corn, spinach, kale, cabbage, mushrooms, French beans, carrots, and more. You can also add tofu cubes and canned garbanzo beans for more plant-based proteins.
Prepare veggies as you like
You don't always have to chop the veggies. You can shred, finely chop, or julienne the veggies instead. Just make sure all ingredients are of the same size for evenly stir-frying them.
Adjust the spiciness
The spiciness of schezwan sauce on fried rice depends on the amount of schezwan sauce you want to add. You can add the amount as per your taste and preference.
Recipe Card
Veg Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe
Cuisine: Indo Chinese
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
For Cooking Rice
- 1 cup (200 grams) basmati rice/long grained rice
- 5 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Other Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil/any neutral tasting oil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped celery (optional)
- 1 or 2 finely chopped spring onions (scallions), set aside the greens for garnishing
- ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped carrots
- 7 to 8 finely chopped French beans
- ⅓ cup chopped capsicum
- ½ cup chopped cabbage
- 1 cup chopped button mushrooms (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Schezwan Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar/white vinegar
Method:
- Rinse the basmati rice carefully until it gets clear off the starch. Then, soak it for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Now drain the rice after it is soaked and keep it aside.
- Take a pot, add water and boil it. Make sure to add salt and oil to it while boiling.
- Add the soaked rice and cook it for a few minutes.
- When the rice grains are al dente or cooked (not mushy, though), remove the pot and drain the excess water.
- Gently rinse the rice using fresh water so that they don’t become sticky.
- Cover the rice, and keep it aside at room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the rice while you prepare the veggies.
- Take a rust iron pot or a wok, add oil, add garlic, and sauté it for a few seconds.
- Add spring onions and all the chopped vegetables.
- Stir fry the vegetables on medium to high heat. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning.
- When the vegetables start turning brown, add schezwan sauce and stir the vegetables again.
- Add the cooked rice in small portions, mix and toss it with the veggies.
- Season it with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir once again so that the sauce coats the ingredients evenly.
- Garnish with green spring onions and serve hot!