The Japanese call the iconic Chinese fried rice called “Cha-han” (or often Yakimeshi) which is as well Ramen, Yakisoba, Yakiudon, and curry rice the popular lunch or side menu in Japan.
It is one of the staple comfy dishes that mom often makes for us using up leftovers in a fridge.
Since we (the Japanese) use sticky rice and the heat on a stovetop is not able to provide as high as professional uses, we have been trying “chahan recipes” one after another.
The Best Rice To Make Fried Rice For Beginners
- Use medium or long-grain rice (less starchy)
- Avoid fresh-cooked rice
- Rince cooked rice when using short or sushi rice
Jump to the conclusion, that Japanese rice aka short-grain rice is not the best choice to make crispy and fluffy fried rice “for a beginner” and use a household stove.
If you still want to try Chahan fried rice with Japanese rice, use leftover rice (warming up before cooking), or rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch.
Meanwhile, it can be said that fresh-cooked rice is harder to make crispy and fluffy rice. besides, it gets easily mushy and sticky.
For more tips, cook rice with less water than usual if you cook rice for fried rice.
So, what do I recommend the rice for fried rice?
Personally, I recommend using medium / long-grain rice which can provide the effortless crispy fried rice easily.
Either way, it’s better to avoid using freshly cooked rice for the best crispy rice.
Also, start a small batch of fried rice.
The BesCookware To Make Chahan Fried Rice For Beginners
Simply, non-stick cookware helps to stir and toss ingredients easily and also helps to reduce cooking oil.
The crispy moist fried rice is needed to coat each grain with oil and evaporate excess moisture from the rice quickly while shaking a pan.
A Wok that has a curved base and high, flared walls provides good performance to toss around and heat the rice quickly.
Lightweight is also my point to buy a new one.
Yet, this myth is for those who have a gas stovetop.
It is not the priority to toss up the cookware when using an electric top, so choosing a skillet (frying pan) with a wide flat bottom is not a bad idea.
*When you hold up the pan from the top, the temperature will go down.
It is important to stir-fry the rice over high heat constantly.
Gently press the rice against a wall or the bottom with a spatula or ladle to cook the rice efficiently rather than tossing up the pan on the electric stove top to keep high heat.
Common Ingredients For Chahan Fried Rice
Although I am going to tell you the ultimate simple Chahan fried rice today, which is just egg fried rice,
Anyway, what you can add to my Chahan fried rice?
First, it’s better to avoid adding too many ingredients (especially veggies) while aiming for crispy fried rice even if you want to make the fried rice a little healthier.
The soggy and mushy fried rice will be made with water from the veggies and the excess moisture and steam will not evaporate while cooking.
As a protein, typically chosen ingredients pork includes Chashu pork and shrimp outside of eggs.
(In Japanese home cooking, we also use bacon, smoked ham, wiener sausage, canned tuna, salmon flakes…)
For vegetable ingredients, choose mushrooms, onion (a yellow onion or leek), scallions, often carrots and lettuce.
Choose the vegetables that have less water contains.
Personally, simple ingredients that add only a few ingredients are easier to make fried rice since it can avoid soggy and mushy fried rice with a few steps.
When Should You Add Other Ingredients?
You can add those ingredients as I said before cooking rice and eggs, or after cooking rice and eggs since it depends on your choice of ingredients.
For the easiest and best way to make crispy fried rice, cook other ingredients (protein and vegetables) first, then transfer to a bowl with rice.
Mix them with the rice well while coating the rice grain with the oil that cooks the ingredients.
Besides, adding Mayo together will bring crispy fried rice to this point.
SUBSTITUTE FOR SALT AND PEPPER
AJI-SHIO-KOSHO is an all-purpose seasoning and also can bring savory dishes without effort while simply shaking the bottle to ingredients.
You can use it not only for stir-fry dishes such as mixed vegetable stir-fry and fried rice but also for steak and fried chicken.
Switch salt and pepper to AJI-SHIO-KOSHO, thus, you can save a bit of time (cut the time to sprinkle salt and pepper), besides, avoid over-season since the ingredients of the seasoning mix are well-balanced and designed so the same amount comes out every time you shake the bottle.
AJI-SHIO-KOSHO can bring absolutely more savory flavor to this classic simple-fired rice!
Easy Crispy “Chahan” Recipe: Japanese Egg Fried Rice With Simple Ingredients
Equipment
- non-stick wok or frying pan *See the post
- spatula or ladle
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice *Read the post about the best choice of rice
- 4 whole large eggs
- 2 tbsp cooking oil *Use a little more oil than usual
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Mayo *optionally
- dash of dark soy sauce *optionally
Instructions
- Make sure the rice is not hot but it's warm (like you can touch it easily.)
- In a small mixing bowl, crack eggs and add Mayo optionally. Roughly mix together. You don't need to combine egg yolks and whites well.Adding mayo helps add rich flavor and easily coats the rice grain with oil.
- Preheat the pan and oil it. When using the non-stick pan, avoid preheating too much. When using a stainless or cast iron, make sure to preheat over medium-high heat until it gets really hot.
- Add the eggs and cook, stir immediately. Continue stirring until they’re half-cooked, about 30 seconds, over medium-high heat.
- Add the rice and stir. Constantly, break up the clumps without smashing the grains while aiming for each grain will be coated with egg and oil, over high heat.
- Occasionally, press the rice to the wall or the bottom gently to cook quickly, crispy, and dry, over medium-high heat. Continue stirring the rice with the spatula or the ladle. *It's not necessary to toss around the rice constantly since the heat is not strong as in Chinese restaurants. Shake the pan to stir the ingredients necessary without holding up the bottom.
- Reduce the heat or *turn off the stove. Once the rice is heated and you can see a partially light-brown part, about for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste. *Add the optional dark soy sauce while drizzling along the wall without turning off the stove if you like to add. Stir well immediately.
- Serve and garnish with chopped scallions if desired.
- Top with my homemade spicy Layu chili oil if desired. How to make homemade Layu chili oil.
