Singapore Fried Rice 101: The Essential Guide

The unmistakable smell of that smoking hot cast iron wok, oiled to perfection, partnered with an array of fragrant spices, protein, colourful vegetables, sauces and the oh so humble cooked white rice. These delicious combinations emit that desirable umami flavour to satisfy your Asian food craving. Singapore fried rice is undoubtedly a favourite in the fried rice category. A quick, easy, and affordable meal, for you and your family to enjoy. Let’s take a journey to explore the origins and varieties of this delicious bowl of rice.

My First Encounter with Singapore Fried Rice

Walking through the streets of Singapore will allow you the freedom to enjoy the mouth-watering aromas of freshly prepared street food. Fried rice, with its many variations, has always been a dish that I wanted to try, and treading the streets of Singapore on my first visit to this cultured country, was like a walk in food heaven. Salivating over the aromas, I just had to have a taste of whatever was sizzling in that smoking hot wok, and would you believe that it was Singapore’s famous fried rice recipe. I patiently waited for my order, and boy oh boy was it worth every second. An absolutely satisfied tummy and I continued down the streets of Singapore, anxious to explore.

The History of Singapore Fried Rice

Fried rice is a staple food in most Asian Countries and is usually made with leftovers from the previous day, however, it has gained in popularity throughout the globe as it is a quick and easy meal to prepare. The Singapore fried rice recipe derived from the original Singapore noodle recipe. The preparation is almost identical, with a variation of ingredients to choose from, and the only difference being a noodle or fried rice dish.

Different Variation of Singapore Fried Rice Recipe

There are undoubtedly a variety of Singapore fried rice recipes, and you have the freedom to chop and change as you please. Here are a few variations that you can make at home.

Singapore Chicken fried rice recipe
Singapore prawn fried rice recipe
Singapore veg fried rice recipe
Singapore egg fried rice recipe

Remember that the star of this dish is the perfectly cooked rice.

How to Cook Singapore Fried Rice

The traditional way to cook Singapore fried rice would be in a wok, but don’t fret it, because you will get the same delicious results in your non-stick frying pan. Chop up your meat or chicken into bite size pieces, juliene your vegetables for that street food style look, and make sure to have all the basic aromatics and sauces that give this dish its unforgettable umami taste. A smoking hot wok, a dash of vegetable oil, and your perfectly cooked rice will bring together this satisfying dish.

How to Make Perfectly Cooked Rice for Your Fried Rice Recipe

A perfect pie is always defined by its crust, and the same can be said for perfectly cooked rice. It is very important to get the right texture when preparing your rice. Not too grainy and not too soft, It should be firm to the bite. Here are a few tips to get perfectly cooked rice for your fried rice recipe.

Use long grain rice as it absorbs less moisture.
Rinse the rice to get rid of excess starch.
Use less water. One part water to one part rice.
Fluff up rice with a spoon, and loosely cover and leave to cool.
Store rice in an airtight container for at least an hour before preparing fried rice. Left over rice from the previous day will be even better.

Preparing Vegetables for Your Fried Rice Recipe

When preparing vegetables for your fried rice, make sure to rinse them thoroughly under running water. You can use a julienne cutter or sharp knife to get those elegantly sliced julienne strips. Choosing a variety of colourful vegetables will enhance the presentation and flavour of your fried rice dish.

Tools needed to Make Your Fried Rice Recipe

Fried rice is a simple yet satisfying dish to prepare, and with the right tools this traditional dish will be ready to devour in no time. Here’s a short list of kitchen tools that you will need to complete this mouth-watering dish.

A medium sized chopping board.
A sharp knife
A wok or non-stick frying pan.
A wok spatula.
A serving bowl or plate.
Chopsticks

Ingredients Needed To Make Perfect Singapore Fried Rice

With the endless variations to making Singapore Fried rice, here are a few basic ingredients to get you a perfect bowl of this all-time favourite.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
A protein of your choice (optional)
Spring onion
Carrots
Red pepper
Peas
Garlic
Red chilli
Soy sauce
Curry paste or powder
Black pepper
Cooked rice
Egg

Best Method to Make Perfect Singapore Fried Rice

Although there are many available methods to making fried rice, here is the method that I found easiest to get the perfect Singapore fried rice.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Method:

Heat up your wok or frying pan on high. When the pan is smoking hot, add in your vegetable oil, followed by the protein of your choice. Fry until slightly golden and then remove from wok. Add a little more oil to the wok, followed by the aromatics and beaten eggs. Stir the eggs around until fried, and chop up into chunky pieces using your wok spatula. Add the julienned veg, curry paste and black pepper and toss around for a minute or two. Add the rice, cooked chicken and soy sauce and stir fry. Garnish with spring onion.

Remember to work fast and to keep everything in that wok moving.

Storage Tips for Your Fried Rice

We all do sometimes go a little overboard and cook more than we needed, and that happens a lot when we make too much of our favourite fried rice recipe. Here are a few useful tips to safely store your fried rice.

Storage tips:

Store leftover fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure that the fried rice is completed cooled before packing and refrigerating. This will ensure that the rice does not spoil.
Your leftover fried rice can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to first completely cool the fried rice before packing it into a freezer safe container or bag.

You can use all these helpful tips to prepare your fried rice recipe at home.