Singapore Fried Rice

Name: Singapore fried rice recipe (veg)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked and cooled rice; 1.5 cup chopped vegetables (carrot, cabbage, beans, bell peppers, babycorn, spring onion whites); 1 onion (thinly sliced); 6-7 dried red chilies; 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons vinegar; 1 teaspoon pepper powder; Salt; 2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil

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Singapore fried rice is a delicious and spicy variety of fried rice from Indo Chinese cuisine. While there is no such special recipe of fried rice pertaining to Singapore, this Singapore fried rice is popular among Indian street foods and takeaways.

This is a spicier rice recipe that goes well for a quick lunch or dinner. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like. Here is how to make vegetarian Singapore fried rice recipe!

A bowl of spicy homemade Singapore fried rice served with chop sticks

If you dine in Chinese restaurants frequently, you may have seen this Singapore fried rice in menus or even tasted it.

I did not know about Singapore fried rice recipe until I tasted it, my friend said this is a very popular recipe in restaurants, but I have never seen one.

I liked the taste and flavor of this rice very much and promptly noted the recipe too. Ever since I have been making this Singapore fried rice very often, I like to serve this rice with simple chili vinegar.

What Is Singapore Fried Rice?

Singapore fried rice is a type of spicy and flavorful fried rice served in Indian Chinese restaurants and street carts. It is usually contains meat but my version is vegan and made only with vegetables and vegetarian sauces. Compared to other fried rice recipes, this one is spicier and dark in color.

I make Singapore fried rice with minimum sauces and no taste enhancers. Copious amount of dried red chilies, fried until almost dark in sesame oil makes this Singapore fried rice very different from regular veg fried rice. A small splash of soy sauce deepens and rounds off the flavor.

If you have cooked rice handy you can make this fried rice with in 15 minutes. All you need to do is saute veggies with sauces and red chilies in high flame, add cooked rice and toss. Tastes wonderful especially if you love spicy foods.

Serve Singapore fried rice with some chili vinegar or chili potatoes, baby corn manchurian, crispy corn etc.

This Singapore Fried Rice Recipe Is

Easy, quick & simple recipe

Better than restaurants & takeaways

Vegan & gluten free

Hearty dinner in no time

Flavorful & delicious

To make Singapore fried rice recipe, two most important ingredients are dried red chilies and sesame oil. If you cannot get sesame oil, you can use olive oil or peanut oil. Do not use regular refined oil in this recipe.

You can use the same veggies like carrot, cabbage, beans etc that we use for veg fried rice in this Singapore fried rice recipe too.

Traditionally sauces like peri peri sauce, sriracha sauce are used in this recipe for spice. Here I have used a good amount of red chilies and just a dash of soy sauce. I like to limit store bought sauces. Some times I also add homemade chili garlic sauce in this recipe.

Red chilies sautéed in sesame oil until smoky adds a wonderful spicy tone to this fried rice. While you can reduce the amount of red chilies as per taste, I suggest you keep them if you can handle spicy food.

Ingredients

Rice– Cooked and thoroughly cooled rice with grains separate is what you need for this recipe. You can use long grain or short grain rice for this spicy fried rice.

I had cooked basmati rice handy, so I used it. You cam also use jasmine rice, brown rice here. You can also follow the same recipe & use boiled noodles instead of rice and make Singapore fried noodles too.

Vegetables– The regular ones you would use for making fried rice or noodles are used here too. I have used carrots, baby corns, cabbage, bell pepper & beans. You can also use bok choy, Asian greens, broccoli in this recipe.

Aromatics & Sauces– Freshly minced ginger garlic is used for flavoring this rice. A splash of soy sauce for umami and some vinegar are used to round off the flavors.

Others– Few more staple ingredients used in Asian cooking like Chili flakes, sesame oil, salt & pepper, spring onions.

Few recipes call for curry powder or curry paste, but I did not use them. For a very spicy noodles you can add 1 tablespoon curry powder or curry paste or even red chilli sauce.

How To Make Singapore Fried Rice

Preparation

Pick and rinse rice grains Once. Soak rice for 20 minutes. Change water and thoroughly rinse until water runs clear off starch.

Now cook rice in such a way that the grains are separate and non sticky. I used basmati rice here and the ratio of rice to water is 1: 1.25.

Spread the cooked and cooled rice on a wide plate and let cool thoroughly.

Chop all the vegetables in uniform size.

Making Fried Rice

2. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in wok or kadai. Once the oil reaches smoking point, add the dried red chilies and keep the flame in medium. Saute the chilies very well until they turn dark.

3. Add minced garlic, ginger and chopped onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes in medium heat.

4. Add the chopped vegetables and saute in high heat for 4-5 minutes.

5. Add soy sauce, vinegar, pepper powder and salt. Mix well, stir fry & saute for another 3-4 minutes.

6. The vegetables should be only 70% cooked and crunchy.

7. Add cooled rice and toss quickly. Remove from flame.

8. Serve Singapore fried rice hot. Adjust seasoning if required. You can add some ground white pepper just before serving. You can also use white pepper instead of black pepper for milder flavor.

Pro Tips

There are some prep work to be done for this Singapore fried rice recipe. First make sure to cook the rice in such way the grains are separate.

You have to cook the rice al dente. It means the rice is well cooked yet not mushy. Do not under cook the rice as it will cause digestive problems.

The rice should be cooled thoroughly before adding the sautéed vegetables. If the rice is hot, the grains will break while tossing the veggies.

Leftover rice will be too good for this recipe. Next make sure to chop the vegetables thin and of uniform size. The vegetables should be sautéed for a brief time in high flame, so uniform chopping helps.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is the difference between Singapore fried rice & regular fried rice?

There are no much differences really. Singapore fried rice is spicier, had red chilies and some recipes call for curry powder or curry paste.

Is Singapore Fried Rice Recipe Vegan?

Yes, the recipe of Singapore fried rice is vegan but most of the restaurant versions have meat or seafood.

Is this Singapore fried gluten free?

No, I have used soy sauce here which is not gluten free. If you make this rice gluten free then use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.

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