Small Batch Egg Fried Rice

This small batch fried rice is perfect for smaller households. It’s great for using up leftover rice or making a flavorful meal by combining same-day cooked rice with scrambled eggs, soy sauce, and a mix of colorful vegetables.

In West Indian cooking, dishes like fried rice are typically prepared in large batches. At home, my family would make a big tray that served four or more, with enough leftovers for everyone. Fried rice is perfect for big gatherings because it stretches easily and goes a long way. However, a small batch is often preferable for smaller households but can be difficult to scale down. This recipe makes 2-3 servings and is highly customizable based on what you have in your refrigerator. You can use leftover rice or make a fresh batch, chill it in the fridge, and then whip up this dish. It works well with frozen mixed vegetables or just egg and rice!

If you’re looking for a larger batch recipe you can check out my Guyanese-style fried rice, cauliflower fried rice, or lamb fried rice recipes.

Ingredients

The ingredients I’ve used for this fried rice are similar to those in West Indian fried rice, which usually has Chinese long beans, also known as bora, crisp green cabbage, and five-spice powder. However, the vegetables you use are totally up to what you like and have available!

1. Jasmine rice: I use Thai Hom Mali rice, which cooks beautifully in the rice cooker. It’s fragrant on its own and stays loose while frying.
2. Egg – to keep this simple, egg was the easiest protein to make a complete meal.
3. Chinese long beans (bora) – added for texture and crunch
4. Cabbage – more texture and crunch!
5. Carrots – adds color and slight sweetness
6. Five spice – provides that classic flavor in Caribbean fried rice
7. Light soy sauce – gives flavor and saltiness
8. Dark soy sauce – gives color, but too much can make the rice bitter
9. Sesame oil – great flavor!
10. Oyster sauce – nice umami flavor, a little salty and a little sweet
11. Brown sugar – rounds out the flavor of the entire dish, believe it or not!

Instructions

Substitutions

1. Rice—long grain white rice, parboiled rice, and brown basmati will all work well here. You can use rice leftover from another meal or cook a fresh batch and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Vegetables – frozen vegetable mix, sweet peas, bell peppers, small cuts of broccoli, or string beans are perfect substitutions.
3. Pepper – Thai chilis, diced jalapeno, habanero, dried pepper flakes, or leave the pepper out altogether!
4. Protein – shrimp, chicken, beef strips, or egg cooked your favorite way.
5. Sauce – coconut aminos for allergy concerns with soy. Swap dry sherry, mirin, or dry white wine for the rice wine.

Continue to Content

Small Batch Egg Fried Rice

Yield: 2-3 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This small-batch egg fried rice is perfect for smaller households. It offers a quick and flavorful meal by combining fluffy rice with scrambled eggs, soy sauce, and a mix of colorful vegetables.

Print

Ingredients

Rice Cooker

• ¾ cup uncooked jasmine rice ( equals about 2 cups cooked)
• 1 cup water for rice cooker
• ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Oil spray

Vegetables and Aromatics

• ⅓ cup carrots, finely diced
• ⅓ cup Chinese long beans, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup green cabbage, finely sliced
• ⅓ cup onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, sliced or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 wiri wiri or chili pepper, whole (substitute with ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
• 2 teaspoons green seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

Dry spices

• ½ teaspoon five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon seasoned salt

Sauce

• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice wine (shaoxing wine)

Additional ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• Neutral oil, for cooking

Instructions

Cook and cool the rice

• Rinse the rice and add it to the rice cooker bowl with water, five-spice powder, salt, and 2 pumps of oil spray. Select the "white rice" setting on your rice cooker and let it cook. Once done, transfer the rice to a large plate, break it up with a small spatula, and spread it out gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Gather vegetables and aromatics

• Place carrots, Chinese long beans, and cabbage on a plate and set it aside. On another plate, place onion, garlic, pepper, green seasoning, and ginger and set it aside.

Prep sauce and egg

• Remove rice from fridge while you prep the sauce.
• Mix light and dark soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Do not add the rice wine to the bowl, reserve it for the very end.
• In another small bowl, crack two eggs. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and whisk. Set it aside.

Make the fried rice

• In a wok or wide pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and basil. and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and green seasoning and stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the vegetables. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add a bit more oil to the wok, then add half the rice, mixing it well with the vegetables. Add the remaining rice, along with the dry seasonings, and continue to stir-fry until the rice is broken up and well mixed with the vegetables.
• Pour the sauce over the rice and quickly stir to coat every grain. Keep the rice moving until it turns golden brown, which will take a few minutes. Be sure to move fast so the rice doesn't stick to the pot or burn.
• Push the rice to the side of the pot and pour in the egg. Stir it until scrambled, then incorporate it into the rice and toss everything together. Alternatively, you can cook the egg in a separate pan and add it after mixing the rice and sauce.

• Pour the rice wine around the rice and stir fry for one more minute. Remove from the heat.

Storage

• Store the fried rice in an air-tight glass dish and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

1. If you're using leftover rice, start making the recipe from the "Gather vegetables and aromatics" step.
2. If you are cooking fresh rice but don't have a rice cooker, you can simmer the jasmine rice on the stovetop. Long-grain rice and parboiled rice can be easily used in place of jasmine rice.
3. You can substitute all the vegetables in this recipe with 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables.
4. Dark soy sauce is for color only. Too much will make the rice bitter. If you don't have this on hand, there's no need to buy it just for this recipe. The light soy sauce will give it a nice light brown color.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag Alica's Pepperpot on social media to share your work!