Dr Mobeus
Veggie Fried Rice
Fried rice is the ultimate budget meal because it is built around leftovers. If you have cold rice from yesterday and whatever vegetables are hanging about in the fridge, you are 15 minutes away from a proper meal. The trick is using cold rice – warm rice turns mushy. At 55p per portion it is one of the cheapest proper meals you can make, and it actually tastes like takeaway.
Total cost: £1.65 (£0.55 per portion) – Serves 3 people. Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins
Veggie Fried Rice
The ultimate use-up-whatever-is-in-the-fridge meal. Cold leftover rice stir-fried with vegetables and soy sauce is fast, cheap and genuinely delicious. Ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Method
- Make sure your rice is cold - day-old rice from the fridge works best for fried rice.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the diced carrot and onion, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the empty space and scramble them quickly.
- Add the cold rice and soy sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 3-4 minutes until the rice is heated through and slightly crispy in places.
- Drizzle with sesame oil if using, top with sliced spring onions and serve.
Tips and Variations
Cook extra rice the night before specifically for fried rice – it keeps better and fries better when cold. Add cubed tofu, leftover chicken or prawns if you have them. A squeeze of sriracha on top changes everything.
Is it cheaper to make this from scratch? Use our Cook vs Buy Calculator to compare the real cost of homemade vs shop-bought.
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