One of the aims in my kitchen is to avoid wasting food, so recipes that transform leftovers and vegetable scraps into satisfying meals are favorites. Vegetable fried rice is especially useful: you can adapt it to whatever vegetables you have on hand and adjust the spices to your taste. Leftover rice is ideal here — it fries up nicely and keeps its texture better than freshly cooked rice. It surprises me how often people discard leftover rice; instead, it makes a perfect base for fried rice and many other dishes.
Fried rice was one of my childhood comfort foods. I enjoyed the aromatic spices and, as a picky eater back then, I often didn’t notice all the vegetables hidden in the dish. Over time I grew to appreciate vegetables more, and now I love how many different kinds you can fold into a single pan.
The vegetables I used here are just an example — feel free to swap in what you have. I often add corn, celery leaves, mung bean sprouts, or shredded purple cabbage. Other good options include broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, bamboo shoots or even jackfruit. The point is to use what’s available and what you enjoy.
I made my own spice blend for this version, but you can use a store-bought mix or keep it simple. If you prefer less heat, reduce the spicy elements. You can also shortcut the satay sauce with a vegan store-bought satay if you like — just check the label.
I’ll continue sharing ideas for using kitchen scraps and leftovers — keeping waste to a minimum is both practical and creative. If you try this recipe with leftover rice, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Have a great day and enjoy your meal!
Bless,
A.J.
Vegetable Fried Rice and Satay Sauce
Pin Recipe
15 mins
15 mins
30 mins
Main Dish
Asian, Vegan
3 people
Ingredients
Rice and Vegetables
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 hot pepper (optional; I used adjuma)
- 1/4 cup baked onions (optional)
Spices
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp lemongrass powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Satay Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 5 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 hot pepper (optional)
Instructions
Fried Rice
-
Cook the rice according to package directions and set aside. In a large pan or wok, sauté the onions, garlic and bell pepper over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the spice blend, sugar and soy sauce, and cook another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in the cooked rice and fry for about 5 more minutes, tossing to combine and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Satay Sauce
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Sauté the garlic (and optional hot pepper) over low heat for about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, ginger, peanut butter, sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water. In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup water to make a slurry, then pour it into the simmering sauce while stirring to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Adjust salt to taste and remove from heat.