Basil Week 2015: Thai Basil Fried Brown Rice

C – Vegetarian fried rice anyone?

It’s one of my favorite things to make. I love fried rice. I used to only like fried rice with pork and Chinese sausages. But, when I was a vegetarian a few years ago, it was my go-to thing to make me feel full.

I actually didn’t miss the meat much. Sometimes, the meat in fried rice can get a little tough and hard to chew, if the rice gets cold or is eaten when it’s no longer fresh.

Vegetarian fried rice is much different. You can keep the vegetables slightly crispy, and the scrambled eggs will keep the fried rice soft. It’s great when you have leftover rice and need to make something new with it.

I also love making fried rice when you want to clean out the refrigerator. Just throw in vegetables like carrots and green onions that are getting a little old. This time, we added some Thai basil that was getting a little old.

Of course, don’t add too much of a strong flavor, like basil, because it will overpower everything in the fried rice … unless you really like the taste of basil or other strong flavors.

This vegetarian fried rice with basil was great fresh and still quite good leftover. The eggs made the rice stay soft and the vegetables are still slightly crisp.

Basil Week 2015: Thai Basil Fried Brown Rice

Recipe type: Mains

Author: Christina

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
3 eggs
½ cup of broccoli, florets only, chopped into small pieces
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ red onions, chopped
Soy sauce to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups cooked brown rice
¼ cup chives, chopped finely
¼ cup Thai basil leaves, chiffonade

Instructions

In a large saute pan, place a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and heat on high.
Add eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until scrambled. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same saute pan, add another tablespoon of oil.
Add carrots and saute until softened about 3 minutes.
Add broccoli and red onions. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cooked eggs. Mix well.
Add some soy sauce.
Add the brown rice. Mix well. Add more soy sauce to taste.
Turn off heat and add basil and chives. Mix well.
Serve with more basil and some hot sauce, if desired.
Enjoy!

I love the basil taste in this fried rice. It really gave the rice a refreshing twist. It’s a unique taste and adds variety to the typical fried rice you might be used to.