Burnt Garlic Fried Rice recipe is a popular Indo-Chinese dish made with basmati rice, vegetables, soy sauce, and lots of garlic. It can be prepared in just 20 minutes, enjoy for a weeknight lunch or dinner.

Ingredients to make Burnt Garlic Fried Rice Recipe
- Cooked Rice: Use long grain rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice for the best texture and flavor. If you make the rice fresh, cool it first and then refrigerate it to get extra-firm rice. For best results, use cold pre-cooked rice (leftover rice) as it will hold up the shape while stir-frying.
- Garlic: Use freshly chopped garlic for the best flavor.
- Spring Onions: You will need both white and green parts of the spring onions. I like to use green onion to garnish the garlic fried rice. You can also use scallions.
- Vegetables: I used carrots, green beans, bell pepper, and broccoli in this recipe, but you can also add other veggies like mushrooms and sweet corn.
- Soy sauce: I used light Soy sauce. If gluten-free, you can use Tamari or coconut aminos.
- Vinegar: I like to add rice vinegar (or white vinegar), as it adds a slight tang to the rice and elevates the flavors.
- Sesame oil: Toasted Sesame oil adds a great nutty flavor to the dish. You can also use olive oil or any cooking oil of your choice.
- Seasonings: Salt and freshly crushed black pepper.
How to Make Burnt Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice
Prep:
Cook the basmati rice and let it cool completely. Learn how to cook Basmati rice in Instant Pot. You can keep the cooked rice in the refrigerator to get extra-firm rice if you prefer. You can also use leftover rice for this recipe.
Also, chop the vegetables and keep them ready.
Stir Fry:
Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped garlic and stir fry till the garlic turns crispy and golden.
Remove one to two teaspoons of stir-fried garlic for garnish at the end.
Then add white spring onions, green chili, and saute on high, for about a minute till onions are slightly soft.
Add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat till they are tender and crisp. Do not overcook the veggies.
Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Gently toss the rice and stir-fry until heated through. Adding vinegar is optional, you can skip it.
Finally, garnish with spring onion greens and reserved fried garlic. Serve garlic rice hot with a side of Gobi Manchurian.
What to serve with Garlic Fried Rice?
Burnt Garlic Fried Rice can be eaten on its own, it is so flavorful. Pair it with an Indian-Chinese side dish like Gobi Manchurian for a complete meal.
Tips for making Best Garlic Fried Rice
- Use cold pre-cooked (or a day older) rice, It holds up the shape and is perfect for homemade fried rice.
- Do not brown or burn the garlic, it will taste bitter.
- Always stir-fry the vegetables on high heat.
Variations for making Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
- Protein: Add ½ cup of crumbled or cubed paneer (cottage cheese), scrambled tofu, or eggs for protein.
- Spicy: Add sriracha, schezwan sauce, or red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Oil: You can also use avocado oil or olive oil for this recipe.
- Vegetables: You can also add broccoli, edamame, and shredded cabbage.
- Rice: You can either use cooked basmati rice, jasmine rice, or sona masuri for this recipe. Rice to water ratio will vary for each rice type while cooking in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. For example, for Basmati (1 rice: 1 ½ water), sona masuri short grain (1:1 ¾), and jasmine rice (1:1 ¼).
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Make ahead: You can cook up the plain rice in a pressure cooker or stovetop, prep the veggies, and store them in separate containers the day before.
Store: Leftover garlic fried rice will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container.
Reheat: Sprinkle some water and reheat the fried rice in a wok or skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it for a few seconds until it warms through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Long-grain white rice, like basmati rice and jasmine rice, works well for fried rice. They hold up their shape and are great for stir fry. I do not recommend using sushi rice, risotto rice, or paella rice.
You can also add the following vegetables
- Sweet corn
- Shredded Cabbage
- Green Peas
Yes, this fried rice is vegan. Substitute soy sauce with Tamari or Coconut Aminos to make gluten-free fried rice.
More Indo-Chinese Recipes
- Vegetable Hakka Noodles
- Garlic Noodles
- Mushroom Fried Rice
- Chapati Noodles
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Paneer Fried Rice
- Cauliflower Fried rice
If you’ve tried this Burnt garlic vegetable fried rice recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!
Burnt Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice ( about 3 cups cooked rice)
- 8-10 cloves garlic (about 2 tablespoons), chopped
- ¼ cup spring white onions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons celery optional
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 1.5-2 cups vegetables (beans, carrot, broccoli, capsicum) finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (white vinegar), optional
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons spring onions for garnish
Instructions
Prep:
- Cook the basmati rice and let it cool completely. Learn how to cook Basmati rice in Instant Pot. You can keep the cooked rice in the refrigerator to get extra-firm rice if you prefer. You can also use leftover rice for this recipe.Also, chop the vegetables and keep them ready.
Stir Fry:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped garlic and stir fry till the garlic turns crispy and golden.
- Remove one to two teaspoons of stir-fried garlic for garnish at the end.
- Then add white spring onions, green chili, and saute on high, for about a minute till onions are slightly soft.
- Add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat till they are tender and crisp. Do not overcook the veggies.
- Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Gently toss the rice and stir-fry until heated through. Adding vinegar is optional, you can skip it.
- Finally, garnish with spring onion greens and reserved fried garlic. Serve garlic rice hot with a side of Gobi Manchurian.
Leave a Reply