This mushroom fried rice is perfect if you’re searching for a delicious vegetarian recipe. Many believe food cannot be tasty without meat, but this is not always true. Many non-meat items are rich in flavor; mushrooms are a prime example. This mushroom fried rice dish will transform your perception of vegetarian food.

Preparing this delicious mushroom fried rice is not difficult once you grasp the basic technique. I will use three different types of mushrooms in this recipe to produce mouth-watering mushroom fried rice.

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1. Type of mushrooms for the fried rice

The selection of mushrooms is critical when making this recipe. I usually use three different types of mushrooms: dry shitake, King Oyster, and button mushrooms. This is my personal preference, but you can use any available combination. The basic reasoning is to combine a few types of mushrooms, as different types of mushrooms have different flavors.

The first type of mushroom is dry shitake, which has an intense flavor. To prepare it, soak the mushrooms in water until they become soft. It usually takes one to three hours, but if you’re short on time, you can soak them in hot water to speed up the process. Since Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms have high umami, they can be overpowered in flavor if we use them alone. Therefore, I include two more types of mushrooms to balance the flavor and make the mushroom flavor more wholesome.

The second type of mushroom I use is the king oyster, which has a large stem with a meat texture when cooked. Although it does not contribute much flavor, it provides a meaty texture to the fried rice.

Lastly, I added some fresh mushrooms with a more neutral flavor. In this case, I use some fresh button mushrooms.

I recommend cutting all the mushrooms into short strips so that they cook quickly during stir-frying. Nevertheless, you can cut them into any shape you like as long as they are not too big.

2. Prepare the rice for stir-frying

To make fried rice, leftover rice refrigerated overnight is best. Overnight rice is less sticky and drier and does not form lumps during cooking. 

To prepare the rice, remove it from the refrigerator and let it return to room temperature before stir-frying. Cold rice is more likely to stick together during cooking, making it more difficult to generate the wok aroma. Once the rice is back to room temperature, use a clean hand with a glove to break up any lumps and separate each grain. The heat during stir-frying will distribute more evenly to lose grains, which ensures they are cooked more evenly.

If you don’t have leftover rice, you can also use freshly cooked rice. I recommend using long-grain rice, as it is less sticky. Basmati rice is too light and fluffy for traditional Chinese fried rice and is rarely used.

Spread the rice thinly on a large tray and place it before a fan for about 30 minutes. This will help dry the rice grains and achieve a texture like leftover rice. 

The key to making the perfect stir-fried rice is to ensure that each grain is separated. This will help the rice cook evenly and absorb the flavors of the stir-fry sauce. 

3. Other secondary ingredients for this recipe

Besides mushrooms being the primary ingredient, below is a list of all other simple ingredients that are required for this recipe:

• Garlic. Prepare about one tablespoon of chopped garlic for stir-frying. I also got another tablespoon of fried garlic ready as a topping. Fried garlic is an essential ingredient in another recipe called Japanese garlic fried rice. The flavor of fried garlic pairs well with all types of mushrooms.
• Egg. Eggs are the essential ingredient in most Chinese fried rice recipes. There are different ways to add egg to fried rice, such as coating each rice grain with raw egg and frying it over low heat until all the eggs have dried up, forming a very thin coating on each grain of rice. However, we’ll stick to the simpler method of making a thin omelet for this recipe.
• Vegetables. I include carrots and green peas to provide the green and red colors to improve the presentation. Mushrooms generally have only one color—brown—and using them alone may not produce the best color combination. You may also consider adding some multi-color bell peppers to the fried rice.
• Seasonings. The seasoning consists of commonly used Cantonese ingredients. Light soy sauce adds a savory flavor, while dark soy sauce improves the color. Oyster sauce, sesame oil, and pepper also contribute to the savory flavor. (For a fully vegetarian dish, you can use vegetarian oyster sauce, which is made with mushroom extract.)

4. How to prepare the mushroom fried rice

Let’s go into the detailed steps of how to prepare mushroom fried rice.

a. Prepare all the ingredients required

1. Remove the leftover cooked rice from the refrigerator and loosen up all the grains so they are not lumped together.
2. Soak the dry shitake mushrooms in advance until they become soft. Then, cut all the mushrooms you have chosen into small pieces or strips.
3. Prepare a tablespoon of freshly chopped garlic and another tablespoon of fried garlic.
4. Combine all the seasoning ingredients in the recipe to make the stir-fry sauce.

b. Make an omelet and stir-fry the mushrooms and carrots.

1. Add vegetable oil to a large wok or frying pan, then pour in a beaten egg to make a thin omelet. Then, use the wok spatula to break the omelet into small pieces and remove them from the wok.
2. Add more oil to the wok and sauté the chopped garlic. When the chopped garlic releases its fragrance, add the mushrooms and carrots. Stir-fry over medium heat until the mushrooms are cooked.
3. Then, add some water to the sauteed mushrooms and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes until the carrots turn soft.
4. Finally, add half the prepared stir-fry sauce to the mushrooms and carrots. Stir-fry until they absorb all the flavor, then remove them from the wok.

c. Stir-fry the cooked rice

1. Add the cooked rice to a clean wok with oil.
2. Stir-fry the rice over low heat, gradually increasing to medium when it starts to dry out on the surface. Stir-frying over low to medium heat initially would prevent the rice from sticking when it is still moist. Turn the heat to medium-high to stir-fry the rice until it develops an aromatic wok aroma.
3. Add the remaining stir-fry sauce bit by bit so that it does not wet the rice too much and to maintain the high heat. Continue to stir-fry until the rice surface becomes slightly charred. Turn down the heat.

Note: When I worked in my previous restaurant, we fried rice separately from other ingredients. This method is preferred because other ingredients, such as mushrooms and carrots, are not required to be cooked over high heat. In contrast, rice must be cooked over high heat to develop the wok aroma.

d. The finishing touch

1. The final step is to return the mushrooms, carrots, and green peas to the wok and combine them with the fried rice. Turn to high flame, quickly stir, and combine all the rice and the mushrooms. Turn off the heat and add the spring onions. The latent heat of the rice will partially cook the spring onions. 
2. Dish out the fried rice onto a serving plate. Then, top it with the fried garlic to serve.

5. Other similar recipes on this blog

Here are some related recipes if you enjoy this easy mushroom fried rice recipe and other Chinese cuisine.

• Eggplant with garlic sauce (Yuxiang eggplant, 鱼香茄子) is a relatively easy and exceptionally delicious home-cooked dish. This article will show you how to cook eggplant that is less oily and how to retain its bright color.
• This Kung Pao Mushroom recipe is a delicious and hearty alternative to the classic chicken dish, with the earthy flavors and meaty textures of mushrooms.

Yield: 2 servings

Mushroom fried rice with egg, carrot and peas

Print

Delicious mushroom fried rice packed with flavor rivals any meat dish.  It is a quick and easy one-pot meal for everyone.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A

• 350g leftover cooked rice
• 5 dried shitake mushrooms
• 100g king oyster mushrooms
• 80g fresh button mushrooms
• 100g carrot
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 3 tbsp green peas
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
• 1 egg

Ingredients B

• 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Ingredients C

• 1 tbsp fried garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped green onions

Instructions

Preparation

1. Soak the dry shitake mushrooms in advance until they become soft. Then, cut all the mushrooms you have chosen into small pieces or strips.
2. Remove the cooked rice from the refrigerator and let it return to room temperature.
3. Use a clean hand with a glove to break up any lumps and separate each grain. 
4. Prepare a tablespoon of freshly chopped garlic and another tablespoon of fried garlic.
5. Combine ingredient B to form the stir-fry sauce for the fried rice.

Cooking

1. Add vegetable oil to a large wok or frying pan, then pour in a beaten egg to make a thin omelet. Then, use the wok spatula to break the omelet into small pieces.
2. Add more oil to the wok and sauté the chopped garlic. When the chopped garlic releases its fragrance, add the mushrooms and carrots. Then, add some water to the sauteed mushrooms and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes until the carrots turn soft.
3. Add half the prepared stir-fry sauce to the mushrooms and carrots. Stir-fry until they absorb all the flavor, then remove them from the wok.
4. Add the cooked rice to a clean wok with oil. Stir-fry the rice over low heat, gradually increasing to medium-high to stir-fry the rice until it develops an aromatic wok aroma.
5. Add the remaining stir-fry sauce.
6. Return the mushrooms, carrots, and green peas to the wok and combine them with the fried rice. Turn to high flame, quickly stir, and combine all the rice and the mushrooms. 
7. Return the cut omelet to the rice and mix.
8. Turn off the heat and add the spring onions. The rice's latent heat will partially cook it. 
9. Dish out and serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 631Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1214mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 4/5/2024