Singapore Fried Rice is a Chinese takeaway classic. It is a delicious amalgamation of fresh ginger, garlic, spicy roasted red chilli paste, and a tinge of Russian sauce (mayo and ketchup) for a burst of flavours!
It is what a lot of people would consider the ultimate Chinese takeaway comfort food. A true hearty one-plate-meal by itself.
The scrumptious dish flaunts Asian cuisine and is now a staple takeaway dish across the seven seas. From big Cantonese restaurants to tea houses and stalls, this popular comfort food spread wherever the British tend to frequent, like in the UK and Australia.
Like Singapore Fried Noodles, this Asian delight is traditionally stuffed with chicken, prawns, or shrimps. Yet vegans can also customize it according to their liking.
Learn how to make the takeaway variants at home with us. We have recreated the time-tested traditional Singapore fried rice recipe to give your palette a taste of an authentic Chinese-style wok-fried dish.
If you are looking for more scrumptious and easy-to-cook recipes to add comfort foods to your family spreads, follow us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks.
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Chinese Takeaway Food
Singapore fried rice takeaway is classic Chinese comfort food. Some of you might contemplate it as a misnomer, but it has nothing to do with the city-state of Singapore.
Instead, it is a well-celebrated savoury treat featured in Chinese takeaway food in the UK, where the dish is enriched with meat or prawns. Perhaps the name Singapore is inspired by the famous Singapore Fried Noodles.
All fried rice dishes originated in China way back in the Sui Dynasty that ruled in China (581-618). Ever since the recipe used in the province of Yangzhou (fluffy rice, prawns, veggies), it has inspired the way of preparing Singapore fried rice.
During the 1900s, several Chinese restaurants started growing steadily in different parts of London. Then, in the late 1990s, Chinese takeaways became an essential component across the country. It was then this spicy cuisine became the limelight of the Chinese takeaway menu.
Singapore Fried Rice vs Special Fried Rice
So what makes the latter dish “special” is that it is fully loaded with ingredients. These include seafood, chicken, ham, pork, beef, egg, and vegetables, especially corn and peas.
In contrast, the traditional version will contain prawns, shrimp, or meat with a handful of extra spices like curry powder. In addition, the perfect blend of chilli paste and Russian sauce adds tanginess and the zesty flavour that is something you don’t find in special fried rice.
Calories
Singapore fried rice calories in an ounce come to roughly 60cal. However, the nutritional value contains approximately 686 calories per serving.
Ingredients
The main key ingredients of our recipe are:
- Long grain rice
- Soy Sauce
Long grain rice is a staple ingredient while making stir-fried rice because it can hold its shape. More importantly, the grains remain separate when fried. Jasmine is a top-notch choice among restaurants because it has a light floral aroma to its taste. Moreover, it doesn’t stick when cooked and is a bit dry in texture.
Dark soy sauce is added to give Singapore fried rice an enriched tone that is easy on the eye. At the same time, light soy season the comfort dish with essential flavours. Both are the signature ingredients that are eccentric in making the fried dish.
Fortunately, the ingredients used in this takeaway dish are readily available in Asian grocery stores or purchased online. Jasmine rice and soy sauce are also used in the Japanese Chahan and Shanghai fried rice.
Cooking Tips
- Use an excessively hot wok for cooking your Singapore fried rice. This is to ensure that all of them cook thoroughly to a crisp.
- Make boiled rice and leave it to cool. Otherwise, use old, cooked, cold white rice. The ones which are cooked and slightly dried out will turn out better when frying.
- Ideally, you should use a wok. If not available, use a bigger pan where possible, and don't overcrowd it with ingredients.
- Don’t overdo the sauces or seasonings. This is to allow the rest of the ingredients to add flavour to the overall dish.
- Add soy sauce to season your rice instead of salt.
Singapore Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 200 g long grain rice boiled
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon red chilli paste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 100 g prawns
- 2 pcs spring onions roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 3 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 pc large chilli sliced
- 1 inch organic ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 pc clove
- white pepper a pinch
- 1 pc egg
- 1 handful carrots or peas optional
For Russian Sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chilli garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- To make the Russian sauce, simply mix together all the ingredients. Skip step 1 if you don’t want to make Russian sauce to serve with the Singapore fried rice.
- Heat 1 tbsp. of sunflower oil in the pan, flash fry the prawns, garlic, ginger, chilli paste, chillies, spring onions, and set aside.
- Whisk the egg, then fry it in a little oil. Roll and slice the omelette into 1cm strips.
- Heat the remaining sunflower oil in a wok for 5 minutes. Add the set-aside ingredients immediately, followed by the rice and vegetables (carrots or peas).
- Grind the clove and add to the mix with chilli powder, white pepper, turmeric, and curry powder.
- Ensure everything is well integrated, including the omelette, before seasoning the rice with soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve the Singapore fried rice immediately with the Russian sauce.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
Another variation of this Singapore fried rice dish that you can refer to is the one by Food Journey With Us. In their Youtube video, they spun the ingredients to have some cashew nuts and raisins. This is more of a South Asian twist to this versatile dish which you can try!
Variations
The chicken version follows the same recipe. Firstly, cook the chicken until it is half done in the pan with sautéed garlic and ginger. Next, add chilli paste with brown sugar and basil until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
The vegan version of Singapore fried rice takeaway follows the same ingredients and methodology except for seafood or meat. You can add all the vegetables of your liking in the sautéed garlic and spices. Then, you fry the vegetables until they are half done. Add rice, pepper, and soy sauce, toss on high flame for 2-3 minutes, and this divine food is ready to serve.
Now you can recreate this Chinese takeaway dish at home without a hassle! Share your experience, and don't forget to show us pictures. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @honestfoodtalks to get your version featured in our stories.
Blanca
Audrea
So delicious - will make again for my family
Varnia
Thanks for taking the time to write this recipe out! I've always wanted to make this at home.
Rudolph
This dish came out so delicious! I added my own chilli oil too!
Jasa
I've always wondered how to make this!