Serves 4–6

Yes, this fried rice is vegetarian, but it's certainly not boring. It's chock full of flavorful veggies and gets a flavor boost from both lime juice and brown sugar, ingredients not too common in fried rice.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 medium onion, sliced

½ medium head Chinese cabbage, coarsely chopped

3 cups cooked long-grain white rice

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup dry sherry

¼ cup chicken stock

1 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup shredded, cooked chicken

2 eggs, beaten

  1. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion, and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
  2. Add the cabbage, increase the heat to medium, and stir-fry for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  4. Combine the fish sauce, sherry, and stock in a small bowl; add to the wok and stir to combine.
  5. Add the snow peas and chicken; stir-fry for 2 minutes more.
  6. Move the rice to the sides of the wok, forming a hole in the middle. Pour the eggs into the hole and cook for about 1 minute, stirring the eggs with a fork. Fold the cooked eggs into the fried rice.

illustration Serving Rice

In Southeast Asia, baskets are lined with banana leaves or lettuce and used as serving dishes for rice.