Classic Egg Fried Rice with Prawns

🧾 Ingredients

Rice & Base

• 300 g jasmine rice (uncooked)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (plus extra as needed)
• 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger (minced)

Prawns

• 250 g raw prawns (peeled, deveined, tail-off — small or medium work best)

Vegetables

• 1 medium carrot (diced small, ~5 mm)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
• 3–4 spring onions (sliced — separate white and green parts)
• 100 g bean sprouts (optional)

Sauce

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for color)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp white pepper (black pepper works too)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce

Garnish

• Extra spring onion greens (sliced thin)
• Fried shallots (optional)

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🔥 Instructions

Part 1: Cook the rice (do this ahead)

1. Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear (2–3 rinses)
2. Cook rice as normal (rice cooker or stovetop) — use slightly less water than usual for a firmer result
3. Spread cooked rice on a tray or large plate to cool quickly
4. Best: cook the rice the day before and refrigerate overnight — cold, day-old rice fries much better and doesn’t clump or go mushy
5. Before frying, break up any clumps of cold rice with wet fingers

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Part 2: Prep everything (mise en place)

1. Dice the carrot small (~5 mm pieces) so it cooks quickly
2. Thaw frozen peas and drain well
3. Slice spring onions — keep white parts separate from green
4. Mince garlic and ginger
5. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl
6. Pat prawns dry with kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt and white pepper

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Part 3: Cook

1. Heat a large wok or wide frying pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke

2. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil

3. Add prawns in a single layer — cook 1–2 min per side until pink and just cooked through

4. Remove prawns and set aside

5. Wipe the wok if needed, return to high heat

6. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil

7. Pour in beaten eggs — let them set for 10 seconds, then scramble into large curds

8. When eggs are just barely set but still slightly wet, remove and set aside with prawns

9. Return wok to high heat, add remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil

10. Add garlic, ginger, and spring onion whites — stir-fry 15–20 seconds until fragrant

11. Add diced carrot — stir-fry 2 minutes

12. Add peas (and bean sprouts if using) — stir-fry 1 minute

13. Add the cold rice — break up any clumps and toss to combine with vegetables

14. Spread rice out in an even layer and let it sit for 30 seconds without stirring — this gives it some char

15. Toss and repeat 2–3 times so the rice gets slightly toasted

16. Add soy sauce mixture (light soy, dark soy, sesame oil, white pepper, oyster sauce) — drizzle around the edge of the wok, not directly on the rice

17. Toss everything vigorously to coat the rice evenly

18. Return prawns and egg to the wok — toss to combine

19. Add spring onion greens — toss for 30 seconds

20. Taste and adjust — add a little more soy sauce or a pinch of salt if needed

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🍽️ Serve

Transfer to a warm plate or bowl:

• Garnish with extra spring onion greens and fried shallots
• A drizzle of sesame oil on top (optional)
• Serve with a side of chilli oil or sriracha if you like heat

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⚠️ Key Tips

• Day-old cold rice is essential — freshly cooked rice will be mushy and sticky
• Use high heat throughout — the wok should be hot enough that you hear sizzling constantly
• Don’t overcrowd the wok — if your wok is small, cook in smaller batches
• Cut vegetables small and uniform so they cook quickly and evenly
• Add soy sauce around the edge of the wok, not on top of the rice — this creates a smoky flavour (wok hei)
• Don’t overcook the prawns — they cook fast and become rubbery if overdone

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👍 Result

• Light, fluffy rice with separate grains — not clumpy or mushy
• Juicy prawns, tender scrambled egg, and crunchy vegetables
• Savoury, slightly smoky flavour with a hint of sesame