Name: Gluten-Free Egg Fried Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 360 ml raw jasmine or long-grain rice; 540 ml water, for cooking the rice; 960 ml cooked day-old rice, cold and loosened (4 cups, from the 1.5 cups raw rice above. Ideally cooked ahead and cooled completely); 4 eggs (lightly beaten); 2 to 3 tbsp peanut oil, for the wok (30 to 45 ml. Use an oil that tolerates very high heat); 3 to 4 shallots, finely diced; 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate); 2 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate) (10 ml. Start here and adjust to taste. Check the label); 0.5 tsp white pepper, finely ground (2.5 ml. Season more at the end if you like. Check the label); 2 tbsp light soy sauce, labeled gluten-free (optional); 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, labeled gluten-free; 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil (22.5 ml. For flavor only, not for frying. Check the label)

10 minAt the wok, plus day-old rice

443kcal*

13 gProtein*

55 gCarbs*

*Per serving, estimate. Serves 4.

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This gluten-free egg fried rice is made from day-old jasmine or long-grain rice, loosened by hand and tossed in a very hot wok with scrambled egg, shallots, garlic and spring onions. The sauce is dark soy sauce, optional light soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, finished with MSG and white pepper.

The rice is ideally cooked ahead and cooled completely, best the day before: rinse it until the water runs almost clear, steam it for 15 minutes without stirring, then cool it on a baking sheet and refrigerate it overnight. The frying itself takes only a few minutes. The recipe serves 4.

The dark soy sauce, and the light one if you use it, must be labeled gluten-free (for example tamari), because ordinary soy sauce contains wheat. Check the labels of the other bottled ingredients too.

Egg fried rice with scrambled egg pieces, topped with sliced green spring onions on a white plate with gray and brown rings

Gluten-Free Egg Fried Rice

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 servings

Calories 443 kcal

Ingredients

360 ml raw jasmine or long-grain rice 1.5 cups. Rinse until the water runs almost clear. Makes about 4 cups of cooked rice, the amount used below
540 ml water, for cooking the rice 2.25 cups, a ratio of 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water. Or use the finger trick in the steps: water up to the first finger joint above the rice
960 ml cooked day-old rice, cold and loosened 4 cups, from the 1.5 cups raw rice above. Ideally cooked ahead and cooled completely
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 to 3 tbsp peanut oil, for the wok 30 to 45 ml. Use an oil that tolerates very high heat
3 to 4 shallots, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced white and green parts kept separate
2 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate) 10 ml. Start here and adjust to taste. Check the label
0.5 tsp white pepper, finely ground 2.5 ml. Season more at the end if you like. Check the label
2 tbsp light soy sauce, labeled gluten-free (optional) 30 ml. Only if you find one labeled gluten-free (for example tamari); if not, leave it out. Check the label
1 tbsp dark soy sauce, labeled gluten-free 15 ml. Mainly for color. Use only a soy sauce whose label says gluten-free; check the label
1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil 22.5 ml. For flavor only, not for frying. Check the label

Instructions

Wash the rice. Put the raw rice in a pot, cover with water, swirl with your hands and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat 3 to 4 times, until the water stays almost clear. Never fry raw rice in oil.
Measure the water with the finger trick. Level the rice, rest the tip of your index finger lightly on top of it and add water until it reaches the first finger joint (knuckle) above the rice. This works in any pot. If you prefer to measure: 2.25 cups (540 ml) water, a ratio of 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water.
Cook the rice. Bring to a boil without a lid. As soon as it bubbles, turn the heat to the lowest setting, close the lid and let it steam for 15 minutes. Do not stir.
Chill the rice (ideally cook it ahead). Spread the rice on a baking sheet, let it cool, then cover it and refrigerate overnight. Day-old rice is what makes the dish work, because it stays in separate grains.
Prepare. Mix the soy sauce (light, if used, and dark) and the sesame oil in a small bowl. Loosen the cold rice with your hands so there are no clumps.
Heat the wok. Heat a wok or large frying pan over the highest heat until extremely hot. Add the peanut oil and swirl.
Fry the aromatics. Add the shallots, garlic and only the white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the egg. Push the aromatics to the edge, pour the eggs into the middle, let them set briefly, then scramble roughly until they are about 80 % cooked.
Fry the rice. Add the rice and toss firmly right away to combine rice, egg and oil.
Season. Add the MSG, white pepper and the sauce mixture over the rice. Keep frying over high heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is lightly toasted and smells roasted.
Finish. Take the wok off the heat and fold in the green spring onion rings. Taste and add more white pepper if you like. Serve immediately, with sriracha on the side if you like.

Notes

Gluten check: ordinary soy sauce is brewed with wheat. Use a soy sauce labeled gluten-free for the dark soy sauce and for the light one if you use it, and read the labels of the toasted sesame oil, MSG and white pepper. Use clean utensils, wok and pans to avoid cross-contact.

Food safety (general guidance): cooked rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated within about 2 hours, kept covered, and used within a day or two. Heat it through until piping hot in the wok. Eggs are scrambled to about 80 % first and then cooked further when the rice is fried.

Rice: use cold, loosened day-old rice. Never fry raw rice in oil. Do not stir the rice while it steams.

Wok heat: the pan has to be extremely hot before the oil goes in. Use an oil that tolerates very high heat (peanut oil) for frying and keep the toasted sesame oil for flavor only.

Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from the ingredient list, not a lab analysis. They cover the fried rice as listed per serving (no side dishes). The amount of cooked rice per cup and the sauce values vary, so treat them as approximate. The sodium content is high because of the soy sauces and MSG.

Keyword day-old rice, egg fried rice, gluten-free egg fried rice, MSG, wok

Questions about gluten-free egg fried rice

Why should the rice be cooked ahead?

Cold, day-old rice is drier and stays in separate grains in the hot wok. Freshly cooked rice is softer and turns clumpy and mushy. Spread the rice on a baking sheet to cool, then cover it and refrigerate overnight.

Which soy sauce is safe for a gluten-free egg fried rice?

Ordinary soy sauce is brewed with wheat. Use a soy sauce that is labeled gluten-free, for example a tamari, for the dark soy sauce and for the light one if you use it, and check the label every time you buy.

Why should I fry the aromatics before the egg?

The shallots, garlic and white spring onion parts need only 30 to 60 seconds to become fragrant. They are then pushed to the edge so the eggs can set in the middle of the hot wok and be scrambled roughly.

Why is the green part of the spring onion added at the end?

The green rings go in off the heat, so they stay fresh and keep their color, while the white parts are fried with the other aromatics.