What is Yangzhou fried rice?
The name comes from the city of Yangzhou in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. In Chinese it is called Yangzhou chaofan (扬州炒饭). In Chinese restaurants abroad you often find it as special fried rice or house fried rice. The classic version has egg, ham or red barbecued pork, shrimp, peas and scallions. In Yangzhou, cooks mostly season the rice with salt, which keeps it pale. With soy sauce, as in the recipe card below, it turns darker and more savory. The Vietnamese sister dish is Cơm chiên Dương Châu, and Dương Châu is the Vietnamese name for Yangzhou.
The right rice
Use long-grain or jasmine rice that you cooked the day before. In the fridge its surface dries out, and the grains fry in the wok instead of steaming. For 600 g cooked rice you cook about 250 g raw rice, and you will find the method under how to cook jasmine rice. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and leave it uncovered in the fridge for an hour. Cool cooked rice quickly and fry it within one to two days.
How to make fried rice in a wok
Heat before oil
Heat the empty wok on the highest setting until it smokes lightly, and only then add the oil. A well seasoned wok keeps the egg and rice from the bottom. If you have no wok, use a 28 cm nonstick pan.
Fry in batches
A home stove delivers less heat than a restaurant burner. So if you are a beginner or using a pan, fry the 600 g rice in two rounds. Too much rice at once cools the wok, and the rice turns sticky.
Break up clumps first
Rub the cold rice apart with damp hands before it goes into the wok. In the wok you would otherwise crush the grains while pushing them around.
Soy sauce on the rim
Pour the soy sauce onto the hot wall of the wok. It sizzles briefly and picks up a toasty aroma before you toss it in.
Shrimp and ham
Pat raw, peeled shrimp dry and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes until pink. Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge first. Diced cooked ham works as the ham. With char siu the rice tastes like Canton. For a vegetarian pan, replace the ham and shrimp with fried tofu and shiitake.
Common mistakes
- Freshly cooked rice: It holds too much moisture and turns mushy.
- Too much soy sauce: The rice turns brown and wet. Stick to 3 tbsp for 600 g rice.
- Overcooked egg: Take the scrambled egg out while it is still glossy. It finishes cooking in the rice.
Variations
The Japanese version is called chahan and gets scallions, egg and often chashu. Fried rice becomes spicier and sweeter with kecap manis and chili in nasi goreng.
