青江菜炒饭 (Qing Jiang Cai Chao Fan)

Fried rice made with greens is a classic example of a dish greater than the sum of its parts—some leftover rice, some leafy greens, and some eggs, transformed into a simple, inexpensive, and filling meal. This version uses bok choy, a cruciferous vegetable commonly used for green fried rice. [1][2]

Ingredients

8 oz bok choy, diced
4 eggs
3 cups cooked rice
½ onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Fried rice is usually made from leftover rice, and we’ll be using three cups of cooked rice for this recipe. If you are making rice specifically for this recipe, 1 cup of uncooked rice will make about 3 cups of cooked rice. Make the rice on the drier side, to emulate leftover rice, and be sure the rice has had the chance to cool before using it in the fried rice. Otherwise, the freshly cooked rice will bring too much moisture to the dish. This is particularly important when we are making a fried rice with leafy greens, which contain a great deal of moisture.

Dice the onions and bok choy into ½ inch pieces, and heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is up to temperature, add the minced garlic and diced onion to the skillet. Fry the aromatics for about 2 minutes, until softened. Then turn the heat down to medium and add the diced bok choy to the skillet. We want to sweat the bok choy, cooking out the moisture from the leaves so it won’t waterlog the rice. Cook the vegetables for about 8-10 minutes, until they have given up much of their moisture. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the clean skillet over medium-high heat, and beat the 4 eggs. When the oil is up to temperature, pour the eggs into the skillet. Scramble the eggs in the skillet, breaking it up into small pieces. It will take 1-2 minutes for the eggs to cook, then add the cooked rice to the skillet, together with the soy sauce.

Break the rice up roughly with a spatula, and then press the rice into the skillet. This maximizes the amount of oil the rice picks up from the pan, and also helps break apart any clumps of rice. To prevent burning, keep the rice moving. Once the pressing step is complete, begin tossing the rice with the eggs for about 2 minutes, until the rice has warmed through, the grains have separated, and the egg is well distributed.

Turn the heat down to low and add the bok choy mixture back to the skillet. Toss the ingredients with the rice until well mixed and the vegetables are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Salt to taste and serve.

Substitutions

You can use either white or brown rice in this recipe, as long as it is relatively dry. Short and medium-grain rice varieties work best, but long-grained rice can also be used. Other dark, leafy greens can be substituted for bok choy, such as mustard greens or kale. You can substitute shallots for the onion and garlic as well. For a lighter fried rice, omit the soy sauce and season with salt instead.

[1] Bok choy was predominately cultivated in Southern China, which is why the common Anglicization of the species is based on the Cantonese word for the plant.

[2] Like many cabbages, bok choy contains glucosinolates, compounds which taste bitter at low concentrations.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 15 min Total Time: 20 min

Difficulty: 1/5

Heat Sources: 1 burner

Equipment: rice cooker (optional), skillet

Servings: 6

Ingredients

8 oz bok choy, diced
4 eggs
3 cups cooked rice
½ onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat about 1 tsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and diced onion and fry until softened, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the diced bok choy to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they have given up much of their moisture, about 8-10 minutes. Then remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

3. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet, and beat the 4 eggs. When the oil is hot, pour the eggs into the skillet. Break up the egg into small pieces as it cooks, 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, breaking it up and pressing it into the skillet with a spatula. Add the soy sauce to the skillet, and toss until the rice has warmed through, the grains have separated, and the egg is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.

5. Turn the heat to low and add the vegetable mixture back to the pan. Toss the ingredients with the rice until well combined and the vegetables have warmed through, about 2 minutes. Salt to taste and serve.