caribbean fried rice Archives

In previous recipes I’ve shared why we have such a strong Chinese influence on the culinary landscape of the Caribbean. Especially in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana and the other islands of the region where the decedents of Chinese indentured laborers call home. As the title suggest, this is a SPICY dish and it’s based on the original recipe for making Pepper Shrimp I shared back in 2017.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp (cleaned)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 tablespoon corn starch
Oil for frying the Shrimp (veg oil – 2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
7 cloves garlic (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 HOT pepper (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 medium bell pepper (diced)
2 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Notes! The rice was cooked in salted water. I used Tamari but any light Soy sauce will work. For the heat I used a Fatalii pepper, typically I’d use a combination of Scotch Bonnet and Fatalii, however not everyone can handle as much heat. That said, use any of your fav hot peppers and in the amounts you can handle. Should you not have the Mushroom Soy Sauce, you may use any dark Soy Sauce.

The first step is to prep and fry the shrimp. Place your clean and deveined shrimp in a bowl, add the salt, black pepper and Tamari. Stir well, then add the corn starch and stir to coat.

I used a wok but you may use any pot or frying pan you prefer. Fry the shrimp on a medium heat for 1 minute then remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess oil. Yes shrimp cooks quickly and I’d hate for you to overcook these. Plus they will cook further later on.

I reserved 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil I used in frying the shrimp, in the same wok and had it on a medium flame. To that I added the onion, garlic and bell pepper. To avoid the garlic burning I turn the heat down a little and cooked it for 2 minutes. At this point I added my hot pepper (seeds too) and gave everything a good mix. Be sure to vent your kitchen or the frying Fatalii pepper (whatever pepper you use) will trigger breathing problems (I choked).

As soon as the pepper heats up and starts releasing it’s heat (about 2-3 minutes), I went in with the previously fried shrimp and tossed to coat with that lovely peppery based we made.

After 2-3 minutes I pushed the shrimp to one side of the wok and added the chilled (previous cooked) rice.

On the rice I added the Hoisin and Mushroom Soy sauces, as well as the sesame oil. Gave it a good mix, then I mixed in the pepper shrimp to combine.

Once everything is combined it’s time to taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I explained why I didn’t any salt (besides in the shrimp) in the video below. I allowed it to cook for another 2-3 minutes to make sure the rice heats through and the flavors all have an opportunity to combine.

As I turned off the stove I added the chives and parsley and stirred! You’re DONE! Finishing with the chives gave me a lovely bright garlic/onion ending flavor.

Vegetarian

Garden (vegetable) Fried Rice.

May 28, 2025April 18, 2022Leave a Comment

With an abundance of vegetables in my garden (last summer), it was only natural that I made this incredible vegetable fried rice when I came across some leftover rice in the fridge. I’m a huge fan of rice, that combined with the ability to put what I’ve grown into a dish, Uncle Chris was a very happy fella.

You’ll Need…

3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1 medium onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cups chopped swiss chard
2 cups chopped kale
2 okra (chopped)
4 yard beans (bodi, bora) (cut into pieces)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 chili peppers (chopped)

feel free to add any of your favorite vegetables.

Wash and prep the vegetables. (watch the video below).

Heat the oil on medium flame in a wok or pot of your choice.

Add the onion, bodi and stems of the chard and kale as those are the more tough vegetables. Grate in the ginger, toss in the chili pepper (bird’s eye) and add the crushed garlic. Stir well.

Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the okra and sesame oil and stir well. Now add the leafy parts of the Chard and Kale. It may seem like a lot, but it will wilt down.

Add the Chinese Cooking Wine, Hoisin, dark Soy Sauce and light Soy Sauce. Mix!

As I’ve mentioned in past Fried Rice recipes, try to make sure the rice is cool or chilled (for a more grainy finish) . Fold in the rice, warm through and you’re done. Yes the rice was cooked in salted water, plus the 2 different soy sauces we used will be enough salt for me. Taste and adjust (add salt) if you wish.

Lunch for Two is DONE! Feel free to add more rice and make it a complete family meal. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Turkey Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025November 6, 2020Leave a Comment

If you’re always looking for ways to make use of leftover turkey, you’ll want to peep this recipe. This Turkey Fried Rice is now a tradition (along with Turkey Soup) in my home and to be honest with you, I don’t mind. It’s quick, easy to prepare, packed with flavor and very comforting overall.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon pepper oil (optional – use any oil)
1 stalk celery (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (diced)
2 1/2 cups diced turkey (cubed)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
2 cloves garlic (grated)
1/2 carrot (grated)
4 drops sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scallion (chopped)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
celery tops

Tip. Day old rice (chilled), works best for fried rice. I don’t like eggs (made for breakfast IMHO) in fried rice, but you can add it and anything else you like in your fried rice. You can add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce if you want the finished rice darker.

Prep the ingredients (try to have them the same size so they cook evenly) as this recipe will go fast – in under 6 minutes you’ll have a wonderful fried rice.

In a wok or non stick pan on a med/high flame, add the Pepper Oil (or any oil you have) and add the celery, onion and bell peppers, give it a stir.

Add the turkey and grate in the ginger and garlic, the carrot and mix everything well. Heat still on medium high. Go in with he Sesame oil (add more if you like the flavor… one of those things I don’t like much) and soy sauce> Stir well to combine and coat.

Add the salt (the rice was cooked in salted water) and oyster sauce, then add the rice. Remember, chilled rice will give you a more grainy texture when the dish is finished.

As soon as the rice heats through and everything is combined, you’re done! Note – if you add dark soy sauce as suggested above, remember to adjust the salt accordingly as the soy will bring that sodium element.

Top with the celery tops and scallions. Turn off the stove. Note the pepper oil will give it a gentle kick. A classic one pot fried rice, using stuff you may want to get rid off in your fridge.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Quick Ham Pineapple Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025April 11, 2016Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen me (just after the holidays) post the pic of me surrounded by a ton of plastic containers. When you visit mom and dad it’s always a time to eat like a KING and have enough food to return home with. Basically I went prepared for the leftover train. This recipe is a byproduct of that visit and the volume of irie food which accompanied us home. By now you should have guessed that I luv fried rice (there are several recipes posted here) and this one certainly delivers.

* This recipe will be enough for two people.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup pineapple
tablespoon veg oil
1 clove garlic (diced fine)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup bell pepper (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 scallion (chopped)

Important. If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soya and oyster sauces.

Prep all the ingredients as this will be a very quick recipe. Heat the oil on a medium flame then go in with the garlic and cook for 20 seconds or so (don’t burn), now go in with the ham, bell pepper and grated ginger and cook another minute or so.

It’s now time to add the rice and other ingredients and stir well. I would recommend having the rice chilled as it will give you a lovely grainy texture when the dish is done. I used pre-cooked brown parboiled rice, but you can use white rice (any rice you have/like).

So simple and quick, you’ll be eating in less than 10 minutes.

You can certainly personalize this by adding any of your fav vegetables and do remember to taste at the end for salt and adjust accordingly. My rice was cooked with salt and the soy sauce I used was enough to properly season this for me. If you’d like to give it a little ‘kick’ you can go in with some diced hot pepper (your choice). I’m NOT a fan of eggs in my fried rice, but you o your thing.

Rice & One-Pot Dishes Seafood

Caribbean Saltfish Fried Rice Recipe.

May 28, 2025December 30, 20153 Comments

I grew up in a house where food was NEVER wasted, so ‘butter’ containers (empty ice cream, butter and margarine containers mom would wash and reuse) stacked in the fridge was a norm. Usually packed with whatever leftovers there was from the night before. So finding the same in our fridge is not that surprising. This fried rice recipe is something I usually do when I want something quick, filling and delicious to eat and I have some leftover rice in the fridge.

You’ll Need…

2-3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 scallion
1 shallot (diced)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced bell pepper
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup prepared salted fish (cod)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)

* To learn how to prepare the salted cod (saltfish) for use, click >> Learn How To Prepare Salted Cod For Use.

Prepare your salted fish (soak, boil, drain, strip/shred..set aside). The reason you do this is to remove most of the salt it’s cured in or it would be too salty for use.

Chop and dice the shallot, scallion, cabbage, bell pepper and scotch bonnet pepper. Please wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers, wash your hands immediately after with soap and water and do NOT use any of the seeds of white membrane surrounding the seeds. That’s where the ‘real’ heat is.

Make sure the rice is chilled so when the fried rice is done cooking it will have a lovely grainy texture. My rice was cooked in salted water.

Heat the veg oil in a pan and add the pieces of salted fish and cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Then add the shallot, diced pepper, scotch bonnet and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Go in with the black pepper and five spice powder and give everything a good mix. Now add the cabbage, soy sauce and sesame oil before adding the pre-cooked (chilled) rice. Heat at medium-high. Mix well and heat though.

After 4-5 minutes the rice should be heated through.. add the chopped scallions, turn off the heat and mix well. Taste for salt. Since I cooked the rice in salt, added soy sauce and the residual salt from the salted fish, I didn’t have to add any salt to the dish… but adjust accordingly.

In under 10 minutes you’ll have a delightful dish for two, packed with amazing Caribbean flavors. If heat is not your thing you can certainly leave out the diced scotch bonnet pepper or use a more tame pepper if you wish. Yet another great way to put leftover rice to use. ENJOY!

Gluten Free Vegetarian

A Quick Jamaican Callaloo Fried Rice Recipe.

December 8, 2015November 12, 20155 Comments

One of the things my parents instilled in us from an early age, was to NEVER waste food, so growing up you’d always find containers (usually old margarine containers) with leftover food in the fridge. I love rice (brown parboiled) in just about any way it can be cooked, so having leftover rice in the fridge is like seeing the pieces of puzzle waiting to be put together. Said puzzle does not have an after picture to follow, so it’s rare that my final fried rice is ever the same. This time I’m using some fresh Jamaican callaloo (called chorai bhagi or spinach in the rest of the Caribbean) from my garden.

You’ll Need…

2-3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 shallot (or small onion)
1 clove garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (see note below)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/3 cup diced carrot
1 cup prepared Jamaican callaloo (trimmed)
2 okra
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Notes. Be sure to use gluten free soy sauce if doing this gluten friendly and if you want more of that vegetable – add about a cup more of the prepared Jamaican callaloo.

Learn how to prepare Jamaican callaloo for cooking: How To Prepare Jamaican Callaloo.

Tip! Make sure the rice is chilled so you’ll get a nice grainy fried rice at the end. Prepare all your ingredients in advance (chop/dice) as this recipe cooks very fast. Heat the veg oil on a medium flame in a wok or non-stick pan and add the garlic, shallot, diced peppers, carrot and black pepper. Cook for 2-3 mins.

Then add the prepared (chopped) Jamaican Callaloo and diced scotch bonnet pepper. Remember to wash your hands after handling the scotch bonnet, don’t use any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds and tailor the amount used to your own tolerance.

Now add the chopped okra, soy sauce (see note above about gluten free) and sesame oil and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The callaloo will wilt.

Basically all you have to do now is add the rice, mix well and warm though and you’re done. You’ll notice that I did not add any salt as my rice was cooked in salted water and the soy sauce will add that extra sodium element. For a bit more flavor you can always add a tiny bit of freshly grated ginger at the start.

A delightful way to make use of leftover rice and for the doubters who think vegetarian food is bland and boring – guess again! This is a superb way to enjoy a quick meal with fresh ingredients (except the rice) and truly comforting.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Jerk Chicken Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025November 5, 201410 Comments

Having leftover rice is quite normal in our home as I purposely make extra and store it in the fridge for making quick and tasty fried rice dishes. However when it comes to having ‘extra’ jerk chicken.. let’s just say that we’re true carnivores! With our girls off in college, sometimes I tend to forget and end up cooking the same amounts as if they were still living at home. Thus the extra jerk chicken in this case.

I love one pot dishes, especially ones where all the main components are already cooked.. like the rice and chicken.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (I used long grain brown rice)
2 cups diced jerk chicken
2 scallions
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup cabbage (chopped)
1 carrot diced
1/2 large onion diced
1 clove garlic (diced fine)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup peas (frozen – thawed)

* optional – 1 teaspoon grated ginger
Note: To make this dish fully gluten free ensure that the marinade you used in making the jerk chicken was gluten free (pay attention to the soy sauce used) and double check the oyster and soy sauce called for in the ingredient list above. White rice will also work excellent with this dish.

It’s important that the rice be kept in the fridge (even if it’s fresh rice you cooked specifically for this fried rice dish) as it will help it maintain a grainy texture when this jerk chicken fried rice is done cooking. Dice the onion, garlic, carrots, bell pepper and scallion. Then strip the jerk chicken off the bones (I used both white and dark meat).. try to keep as much of the marinade that’s cooked onto the chicken pieces as it will really help make this, ‘jerk chicken’ fried rice.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a deep/wide pan, then add the diced onion, garlic and black pepper (add the grated ginger at this point as well – if using), turn the heat down to low and cook for 2 minutes. Then raise the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, frozen peas and carrots – cook for 3 minutes.

Add the oyster sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce along with the pieces of chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.

Now go in with the chopped cabbage and chilled rice. Mix well and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until everything is heated through. Top with the scallions and you’e done. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt as both the rice and chicken was already cooked with salt and the soy sauce we added will be enough to perfectly season this fried rice. However, do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly.

Your kitchen will have that wicked aroma of islands as the pieces of jerk chicken combines with the other ingredients to give you one of the best one pot rice dishes you’ve ever had. If you want you can also intensify the ‘jerk’ flavors by adding a teaspoon of you favorite jerk marinade to the mix (when we added the other sauces) and don’t forget you can kick this up even more with the addition of some finely diced “Caribbean sunshine” – scotch bonnet pepper.

Vegetarian

Festive Vegetarian Pineapple Fried Rice.

November 24, 2014January 21, 201410 Comments

This Caribbean inspired vegetarian pineapple fried rice is a wonderful way to use leftover rice you may have in the fridge and it must be noted that it is not a traditional Caribbean dish. However with use of wonderful Caribbean flavors you’ll find that you’ll purposely make extra rice just so you can have this dish on the regular.

You’ll need…

4 cups cooked rice (day old)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bird’s eye pepper (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 large onion (diced)
1 bell pepper (1/2 yellow + 1/2 red)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 scallion
1/2 carrot (diced finely)
1 stalk celery (diced finely)
1.5 cups pineapple (1/4 inch pieces)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder

optional – toasted coconut flakes – topping.

Notes: If you’re using freshly cooked rice (or leftover), may I suggest that you allow it to cool in the fridge for a few hours. This will give you a lovely grainy finish to the rich dish. I used parboiled brown rice, but you’re free to use any rice you like.

Start by prepping all your vegetables as this is a very quick dish to put together. Next heat the vegetable oil on a medium heat in a deep pot (I used a non stick pot to cut back on the amount of oil I use) and add the diced onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and let that cook for a couple minutes. Then add the diced celery, carrot and bell peppers and allow it to cook for 3 minutes (low heat).

Toss in the bird’s eye pepper (whole), grate in the ginger, add the black pepper, salt and curry.. raise the heat to medium and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes to toast the curry powder to bring out all the flavors of the spices in the curry powder. Then add the diced pineapple (you can use drained canned pineapple if you want) along with the soy sauce, sesame oil and hoisin sauce. Stir well.

Raise your heat to med/high and toss in the rice (note – if the rice was in the fridge as I suggested, take it out about 15 minutes before you start this dish) and mix well. The idea here is to warm the rice through and help it take on that wonderful flavor base we created. Let it cook for about 4-6 minutes, then top with the chopped scallion and turn off the heat. Serve!

You’ll notice that I didn’t use much salt as my rice was already cooked in salt and the soy sauce will contain much salt. Also notice that I didn’t cut or break the birds eye pepper as I wanted the flavor without the raw heat. But you can certainly cut them finely for that added kick. This is best served warm so your guests will really appreciate the combination of flavors we created with this tasty Caribbean inspired Vegetarian pineapple fried rice. A great way to add extra flavors and texture is to top the finished rice with some toasted shredded coconut.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Chicken Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025January 1, 201315 Comments

If you’re new to my website or Caribbean cuisine you’re probably wondering how does fried rice relate to the Caribbean. Our cuisine is heavily influenced by the many faces who make up our unique culture. With over 150 years of Chinese history in the Caribbean, our Chinese style food may be a bit different to what you’d find else where, but I assure you that we’ve been very busy over those years and (IMO) perfected many Chinese dishes. Ask any Tringbagonian, Guyanese or Jamaican (countries where there’s a heavy Chinese population) about this and they will only confirm what I’m saying

You’ll Need…

5 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1 lb chicken (chicken breast)
1 cup diced carrot
2 scallions (chopped finely)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic crushed or grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)
3 tablespoon dark soy sauce *
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tablespoon shado beni (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I used white rice, which was cooked in salted boiling water. For best results place the cooked rice in the fridge to chill before using. This will give you a lovely grainy texture (no clumping) and remember when cooking the rice, stop the cooking process when it’s about 95% done, so it’s not soggy. Start off with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, but depending on how dark you want the finished chicken fried rice, you may need to adjust. Please dice the scotch bonnet pepper very finely and don’t include any seeds. We simply don’t want the raw heat.

Tip. To get the chicken sliced thin, when it’s still a little frozen use a sharp knife and you’ll be better able to get thin slices since it will be firm.

The first thing we need to do is to season the sliced chicken with the 5 spice powder and black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for a few minutes. Heat your wok or non stick frying pan (you’ll need a large one) on med/high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the veg oil then add the seasoned chicken. Since we’re working with fairly high heat, remember to stir and it will cook in about 3-4 minutes. Now remove and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of veg oil to the wok, then add the diced onion and grate in the garlic and ginger. Let that cook for a minute, then add the diced carrots, bell peppers and celery. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Now add the diced scotch bonnet pepper and soy sauce.. followed by the pre cooked chicken and sesame oil. It will go very dark… that will change soon.

Now it’s time to add the rice (make sure you chilled it a bit so we get that grainy texture) and stir well. Since the rice is already cooked, all we’re doing is heating it through and infusing it with the main flavors of the fried rice.

Now it’s time to add the remaining 3 ingredients. Add the bean sprouts and toss, then top with the finely chopped scallions and if you were able to source the shado beni (see West Indian, Asian or Latin grocery stores.. may also be called Culantro) and cook for a minute or 2. That’s it.. you’re done.

As you can tell this can be a one pot dish with all those lovely vegetables, chicken and the rice itself. With such a large batch it can easily feed 6-8 people and I assure you, they will all be satisfied. Remember to taste for salt, but the soy sauce should add enough sodium to make this ideal (but you can adjust if you want more). If you find that the rice is a bit too pale for your liking you can add a tablespoon more soy sauce to darken it up a bit. If you have some frozen peas you can also add a cup of that for extra vegetables. Speaking about vegetables, did you know that my vegetarian fried rice recipe video is one of the most popular on Youtube?

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Scrumptious Vegetable Fried Rice.

November 7, 2014January 16, 201234 Comments

Vegetable fried rice is one of those dishes that’s very simple to make and can be personalized in so many ways. But there are some dishes you simply can’t recreate (as you remember from your childhood) and to be quite honest I don’t even try, so in this recipe I’ll show you ‘my’ take on a wonderful rice dish. Growing up one of my favorite places to buy ‘chinee’ food was a spot on Mucarapo Street just past the old “Strand” cinema on the right side or the truck which sold food on the Promenade San Fernando (by the train engine). It still amazes me how the Chinese food in Trinidad and Tobago is so unique with it’s Caribbean taste and flavors. I’m still to come up with a recipe for the fried chicken you’d normally get with a combo, but rest assured I’m busy at work on it.

Our mom makes a deadly chicken and/or shrimp fried rice, but my sister is still the best when it comes to a tasty shrimp fried rice… something we look forward to when there’s a family gathering. In this recipe we’ll avoid meats in general, but with the layers of flavor we’ll build.. you’ll be amazed at how scrumptious this will be.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced carrot
2 scallions
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion diced
3/4 teaspoon salt (see note below)
1/2 cup diced celery

Note: I used long grain brown rice as I much prefer this rice and it’s supposed to be a healthy rice to consume. I cooked it without salt and took it off the stove about 5 minutes before it was fully cooked. Additionally I allowed it to cool overnight in the fridge. These two things are the tricks to having a grainy fried rice, which will not clump or go soggy when you put the recipe together. You’ll notice that I used 3/4 teaspoon salt in the rice… since your tolerance for salt will be different than mine, do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly.

Important: If you’re making this fried rice gluten free, do read the labels of the soy sauce and sesame oil to ensure they meet your dietary needs.

The first thing we need to do is to chop and cube all the vegetables we’ll be using in the vegetable fried rice. Try to keep the pieces uniform in size to allow for even cooking and try not to be too big as we need everything to cook fast.

Heat the vegetable oil on a med/high heat is a wide pan (I used my wok) then add the crushed garlic and ginger and give it a good stir. We’re trying to release all those wonderful flavors to use as abase for this vegetarian fried rice. That should cook for a minute or two, then add the diced carrots as this would be the one vegetable which will take long to cook. Give it a good stir and cook for a couple minutes.

Now add the diced onion, green pepper and celery. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes, then add the black pepper, soy sauce, salt and sesame oil. Everything will go dark, but have no fear.. once we add the cooked rice it will balance off.

It’s time to quickly add the frozen peas, give it a stir and start adding the rice. Remember to have chilled your rice in the fridge to achieve a grainy consistency when it’s all done. I absolutely hate fried rice which clumps together.

Keep stirring to make sure all the rice grains get coated evenly with the dark base we made. If you find that the colour is not dark enough for you, you can always add some more soy sauce at this point. I say at this point as we’ve not added the salt yet. Remember that the soy sauce is salty so if you add more.. adjust the amount of salt you add. Now is the time to add the salt, taste and adjust accordingly. All you’re doing here is basically heating through the rice, so within 4-5 minutes it should be done.

Turn off the stove, add the chopped scallions and give it a good final stir. Below you’ll find a video I did to use as an additional guide in making this vegetable fried rice.

There’s enough vegetable fried rice here for about 6-8 people and it goes well with the Shrimp Stir Fry recipe I put together a while back or just as good on it’s own.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

caribbean fried rice

Pepper Shrimp Fried Rice.

Garden (vegetable) Fried Rice.

Turkey Fried Rice.

Quick Ham Pineapple Fried Rice.

Caribbean Saltfish Fried Rice Recipe.

A Quick Jamaican Callaloo Fried Rice Recipe.

Jerk Chicken Fried Rice.

Festive Vegetarian Pineapple Fried Rice.

Chicken Fried Rice.

Scrumptious Vegetable Fried Rice.

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