This simple fried rice or “bai cha” is my go-to when I want something more light. I love a good fried rice and I make many variations but the ingredients for this recipe are usually already in my home. It’s very simple to make which makes my life a lot easier! You can also add the veggies you’re used to with the more mainstream fried rice such as carrots, green beans and peas, that’s completely optional.
I prefer my fried rice without those veggies because I learned after visiting Cambodia at the age of 9 that this was the way my relatives would make it. They would use the leftover rice from the previous day’s dinner and cook it with eggs and green onions which was delicious!
I visited Cambodia in the early 2000s and it was a third-world country so the folks there lived in poverty. Food was scarce for many especially if you had multiple mouths to feed, particularly meats, which was why my relatives would cook with eggs only. Still in all, I have the best food memory of their version and it is now how I typically cook my own fried rice.
If you need more proteins than this fried rice has to offer then check out my Beef and Chinese Sausage Fried Rice or pair it with Egg Rolls.
Simple Fried Rice with Shrimps
Course: MainCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
3 cups of cooked jasmine rice
6 large eggs
1 lb of jumbo shrimps, peeled and deveined
3 – 4 stalks of green onions, chopped
Vegetable oil
- Seasonings for the shrimps:
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 tbsp of fried garlic
3/4 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of MSG
1/4 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of black pepper
- Seasonings for the rice:
3 tbsp of soy sauce
1/2 tbsp of fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp of sugar
Sprinkle black pepper to taste
Directions
- Start with veggies- chop up the green onions and set it to the side.
- Cut the shrimps into small chunks.
- Heat up 1/8 cup of oil in pan for 2-3 mins then add 1-2 tbsp of fried garlic and stir occasionally for two mins or until it sizzles.
- Then add the shrimps and stir it around making sure to spread the garlic oil evenly before adding the ingredients listed above.
- While that’s cooking, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat and let that warm up for 2 mins before adding eggs. Scramble eggs occasionally for a few mins until it’s cooked.
- Add the rice and green onions to the shrimps then stir well and turn the heat to low so that the rice doesn’t burn. Then add seasonings to rice and stir it evenly ensuring that every grain of rice is covered and flavorful.
- Lastly, stir the eggs into the fried rice and voila- dinner is served! I like to pair this with egg rolls and the sweet chili sauce for a more complete meal.
Notes
- For added spice, I like to use chili garlic oil or the Sriracha sauce.
