Packed with vegetables, this healthy Brown Rice Fried Rice is easy to prepare making it a perfect vegetarian weeknight meal!
Are you looking for a healthy recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight meal?
This delicious Brown Rice Fried Rice recipe is for you!
Not only is this recipe healthy, but it’s also easy to adapt with any vegetables you have available to create a tasty plant-based dinner.
I crafted this recipe from my fond memories of Bali where I ate one specific dish, Nasi Goreng, in abundance. Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) is commonly served for breakfast and served in many Warungs scattered around the island. During my stay, I was fortunate to learn how to make fried rice during a visit to an organic farm in Ubud. I was surprised by its simplicity but also its vibrant flavours. How could anything be this easy to prepare and so delicious?
I can’t wait to share this simple but mouth-watering recipe with you! 🙂
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Not only is this recipe great for using leftovers to recreate a wholesome dinners, you can also create some yummy lunches!
- The homemade fried rice sauce is super tasty (and so easy) that gives this dish a real spark! You’ll wonder why you’ve never made it from scratch before.
- This meal is simple to adapt to suit any dietary requirements whether it’s gluten-free, vegetarian, egg free or vegan!
Healthy Fried Rice:
For a nourishing homemade recipe that’s both good for you and delicious, I adapted the authentic fried rice recipe I learned in Bali. After all, if you’re going to prepare fried rice at home, you have to love it!
Not only is this version vegetarian, easily vegan and gluten-free, it’s jam-packed with seasonable vegetables.
BROWN RICE FRIED RICE – Although the authentic recipe is prepared using day old white rice, for a healthy twist, I’ve used brown rice. Not only is brown rice a nutritious whole-grain, the nutty chewy texture works perfectly in this dish!
SEASONAL VEGETABLES – This meal is perfect to whip up last minute with vegetables you have on hand, or using seasonal ingredients picked up fresh from the farmers markets!
HOMEMADE FRIED RICE SAUCE – Many supermarket sauces contain additives, preservatives and refined sugars and trans-fats, preparing a simple 5-minute fried rice sauce (kecap manis) at home means you know exactly what you’re putting in your body!
I empower you to mix and match with the veggies to transform this recipe to your own! 🙂 x
The Best Vegetables in Fried Rice
The great thing about Fried Rice is that you can include almost any veggie or herbs, my personal tried and tested favours include:
- Broccoli
- Bean sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Green Beans
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Snow peas
- Swiss chard
- Peas
- Zucchini
How To Make Brown Rice Fried Rice
Time needed: 30 minutes.
STEP BY STEP – How To Make Fried Rice From Scratch:
- Prepare the Fried Rice Sauce (Kecap Manis)
In a small saucepan over a low heat, add 1/2 cup of tamari and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes simmering gently until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. The sauce will become thick, similar to molasses, as it cools.
- Prepare the Fried Rice Ingredients
Finely chop your vegetables of choice to roughly the same size. I love using 300g mushrooms, 4 spring onions, 1 carrot and 1 capsicum.
- Cook the Protein
During this step, in a heated wok or frying pan, many people either cook cubed tofu, shredded chicken or fry an egg and set aside. For an eggless, no meat or vegan version, feel free to skip this step.
- Cook the Ingredients
In a heated wok or frying pan, add the vegetables in order of what would take the longest to cook to the shortest time to cook. Stir frequently.
- Add the Rice & Sauce
Add the day old rice or chilled pre-cooked rice and drizzle over the sauce. Stir cooking for an additional few minutes.
- Serve Hot with Garnishes
Divide into bowls and top with your garnishes of choice. I love using fresh chilli, fresh cilantro and fresh bean sprouts.
Fried Rice Tips & FAQ
Is fried rice gluten free?
While dinning is restaurants or at a friends house, practice caution and enquire about the ingredients or products used. Typically fried rice contains soy sauce which is known to contain gluten.
If you’re preparing yummy fried rice from scratch, the recipe can be adapted to “gluten-free” by substituting Soy Sauce with Tamara sauce. Like all products though, it’s best to read the ingredients list or enquire with the manufacturer to ensure it aligns with your dietary requirements.
Fried Rice using uncooked rice
Most fried rice recipes suggest you use day old rice. But, what happens if you’re craving fried rice and you don’t have any left-over rice?
Simple, you prepare the rice before you cook the recipe. Although it’s recommended the rice is left in the fridge for a few hours to become drier, I’ve found that simply cooling the rice is sufficient.
If you don’t have precooked rice, cook 1 1/2 cups of brown rice in 2 1/4 cups of water. Then continue with the remainder of the method.
Egg free fried rice
It’s so easy to prepare vegan eggless fried rice!
Either omit the egg completely or substitute it with a chickpea flour omelette or scrambled tofu.
Brown Rice Fried Rice with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Fried Rice Sauce (Kecap Manis) Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari sauce*
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Fried Rice Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked brown rice**
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 300g mushrooms washed and finely diced
- 4 spring onions sliced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed and finely chopped
- 2cm knob of ginger peeled and grated
- 1 carrot peeled, cut into matchsticks
- 1 red capsicum seeds remove and finely sliced
To Serve
- 240g bean sprouts washed (optional)
- 4 organic eggs fried (omit for vegan equivalent)
- 1 small red chilli finely sliced (optional)
- handful of cilantro or thai basil
Instructions:
Fried Rice Sauce (Kecap Manis) Method
- In a small saucepan over a low heat, add the tamari sauce and brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes simmering gently until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. The sauce will become thick, similar to molasses, as it cools.
Fried Rice Method
- Over a medium to high heat, preheat a wok or deep frying pan with the extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced mushrooms to the wok and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and it's evaporated in the pan. Cook until they are golden brown.
- Once the mushrooms are brown, include the spring onions, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Cook for one minute until aromatic.
- Add the carrots and red capsicum, stirring occasionally for roughly 2-5 minutes. Add a drizzle of oil, include the cooked brown rice to the pan, frying on a high heat for a further 2 minutes.
- Stir through the homemade Kecap Manis sauce until well combined.
- Distribute the Brown Rice Fried Rice among four bowls and top with your garnishes of choice. We used bean sprouts, fried egg, fresh chilli and coriander (cilantro) leaves. Bon Appétit! 🙂
Notes:
Nutrition:
Disclosure:
Equipment: This recipe may contain links to products and equipment that I use and love myself. The links may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Nutrition: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and does not include any other condiments or garnishes. Although Curated Life Studio attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered as estimates and do not replace or substitute a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Loved This Recipe?
It would make my day if you left a comment below, or shared this post with your friends and family!
Now It’s Your Turn…
I hope you enjoyed this Easy Brown Rice Fried Rice recipe.
Now I want to hear from you – what speedy weeknight dinner recipe would you love to see on my blog?
Let me know in the comments below. 🙂
Brown Rice Fried Rice with Mushroom v.02 – July 2020
Brown Rice Nasi Goreng v.01 – July 2017
Hey There, I’m Kylie. My passion is plant-based recipes and I want to help you create something gorgeous!
I believe in taking a slow approach to food – to eat locally, seasonally and consciously.
When I’m not taking photos, you can find me wandering the coastal paths of South-East Australia.
Sriparna says
I am a hard core non-veg, but I think I will give this a try for my vegetarian friend 🙂 It looks amazing and sounds delicious no doubt! Great stuff!
I am also going to share this recipe with some other folks too 🙂
Kylie (Author) says
Great to hear! I would love to hear how your friends enjoy it! 🙂
Indrani says
The best part is the ingredients are healthy! I also like the detailed steps you have given, anybody can try it out. The presentation too is also good.
Thanks to you I’ve learned a new dish.
Kylie (Author) says
I’m glad you found it beautiful! I would love to hear how the recipe goes! 🙂
Clarice says
This really looks good, not to mention it’s healthy!
I can’t wait to go to the grocery store and grab some ingredients. I will definitely try to make this. 🙂
Kylie (Author) says
I hope the recipe goes well Clarice! 🙂
Maria says
Wow!! How do you do that? I mean, being a vegan and those dishes. The food looks so yummy!! Plus, your photos look yummy and classy at the same time. I need to see how you do it!
Kylie (Author) says
Thanks for your feedback Maria! I will consider developing a behind the scenes in the future! 🙂
Cieri says
My husband loooves Nasi Goreng! And your recipe is hinting that it can be done simpler than I thought! And that I can also do this dish on my own… given that I am not a good cook.
Amila says
Wow! Beautiful photographs! I love eating Nasi Goreng so I’m glad to find a vegetarian version of it too.
I’ve bookmarked the page to try it later!
Kylie (Author) says
I hope it goes well Amila! 🙂
Theresa says
Such wonderful photography styling with this foods. If only I have the slightest skill that you have.
I think I need to have a photography styling 101 class from you. It would be very helpful for my shots whenever we go for a food review.
Kylie (Author) says
Thank you for your sweet comment Theresa, I have considered putting together a brief styling tutorial! 🙂
Irma says
Although I am not a vegetarian, this dish looks delicious. I would not mind trying it since I have never tried it before.
I will try to make it myself; it doesn’t look like a hard job. I will let you know if I liked it!
Gene says
First things first, if I’m served with a plate like this, I wouldn’t want to eat it because it looks so pretty! I bet it’s also tasty.
Although, I haven’t tried an authentic nasi goreng. This recipe is a must try!
Queenelizabeth says
Oh what a healthy recipe and it sure does look good!
The first time I tried Nasi Goreng was in Kuala Lumpur about 3 years ago. I’m not really a fan of it. Maybe because it was just the plain rice that made it boring? but this one looks scrumptious!
Maaya says
This makes me drool!!! I haven’t tried nasi goreng because I’m trying to stay away from rice but if I were to taste this, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind eating rice again.
It’s also nice because this is the healthier version! I don’t know how to cook though, so I’ll just give this recipe to my sister so she can cook this for me! haha!
Kylie (Author) says
You can always replace the rice with ‘cauliflower rice’ – Cut the florets from a cauliflower, and process the florets in a blender on the ‘pulse’ function until it emulates the texture of rice. Voila! 🙂
Teresa says
I like Nasi Goreng. But this is the first time I read about a vegetarian version. That’s interesting.
Maybe I should try this one also in the future. 🙂
Shalene says
Nasi Goreng is one of my favourite Indonesian dishes. I even like the instant variation.
I haven’t tried making nasi goreng but I might use your recipe, and substitute rice with noodles. I hope there’s Tamari in our local grocery. 🙂
Swayam Tiwari says
I love a dish called pulao which is made of rice. It is first fried and later boiled in a pressure cooker. Other delicacies like potato, chickpeas are also added. You can also add some cashew nuts to make it tastier. Tastes yummy.
Kris says
I love how you put a twist on this recipe to create a healthier one. I love the “normal” nasi goreng, I think making a vegetarian version is as great as the original.
When I visit your blog I’m always in awe of how curated and how clean your photos look! I love every recipe you post!
Bespoke Traveler says
Mmm..nothing like fried rice and egg for breakfast! Making a variation this weekend.
Rose Ann Sales says
Yum! It looks savory! I love healthy foods.
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
I’m so glad you loved this Rose! 🙂 x
Kathy says
Oooohhh this looks really *really* good. Even if this is a healthy meal – I would totally eat this!!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Healthy recipes can also be delicious too! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Chad says
OMG! This looks so so good!!! I can’t wait to make it, I love fried rice… I am not sure about the egg though, I’m not a huge fan.
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
I totally get it, Chad. Lots of people like egg-free Fried Rice. Luckily, it’s super easy to leave it out for this recipe!
I hope you enjoy! 🙂 x
Laura says
This could be the best dinner ever for me tonight. What an incredible recipe and colorful presentation!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Wow, thanks so much Laura! Your comment has literally made my day! 🙂 🙂 x
Bella says
OMG this looks so good!!! I wish i could eat eggs, they used to be my favourite but rice is the bomb
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much for your comment Bella! Don’t worry, this recipe can easily be made vegan or eggless by leaving them out! I hope you love it as much as I do! 🙂 X
Heidi says
This sounds so delicous! Love brown rice so will have to try!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much Heidi.
Sundeep says
This really looks so delicious and healthy too.
I will try this today. Thanks for sharing the recipe, it’s been a great lunch idea and the recipe looks so easy!
Lani says
This dish seems really tasty and the visuals are amazing! Looking forward to making this one – thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much Lani, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂 x
Marie Phillips says
This is great! I would make mine with chicken in it instead of adding the egg. And I love that you have a homemade option for the sauce instead of buying the store version with tons of chemicals.
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much Marie! I thought it would be a good option to add the sauce recipe because it makes it easier to make from scratch than visit the shops and it’s a great way to learn what’s going in our food! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 x
rachel says
This sounds so good! I can’t wait to try making this!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much Rachel, I’m sure you’ll love it! 🙂
Teerath says
This recipe sounds so amazing and looks so delicious and tasty! I’m glad you shared this with us. I’m going to try this out as soon as possible and I’m sure I will love this!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Wow, thanks so much Teerath! Please let me know how it turns out! 🙂 x
Jackline A says
The rice looks so good. Brown rice has so many great benefits.
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
It does doesn’t it? It’s always great creating a healthier twist to our meals! 🙂 x
Hannah says
This looks super delicious! I’m a fried rice snob hahah and am going to put this on my to do cook list.
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks Hannah, I hope you enjoy! Please let me know how it turns out! x
Kiwi says
Wow this presentation is everything. I want this for lunch!
Kylie - Curated Life Studio says
Thanks so much Kiwi! You’ve made my day! 🙂 x