Egg Fried Rice, Done Properly (Dan Chao Fan)

The story

Fried rice exists to rescue leftover rice, which is why day-old cold rice is the authentic starting point: dry grains fry into separate, chewy pearls instead of clumping. Every Chinese family has a version; this is the canonical minimum.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Cooked rice, ideally day-old — 3 cups / 450 g
• Eggs — 3, beaten
• Frozen peas & carrots — 1 cup
• Scallions — 2, sliced
• Soy sauce — 1.5 tbsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, white pepper, cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Scramble the eggs in a well-oiled pan until just set; break into pieces and remove.
2. Fry the frozen vegetables 2 minutes, then add the rice. Press and toss 3–4 minutes until every grain is hot and lightly toasted.
3. Eggs back in, soy sauce around the edge, scallions and white pepper. Toss 1 minute.

Swaps

No day-old rice? Spread fresh hot rice on a plate and freeze 10 minutes — dries the surface enough to fry. Add diced ham, leftover chicken or shrimp and it becomes a meal.