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September 03, 2014

China -- Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice

BM# 44: A-Z Cooking Series -- Around the World in 30 days
Country: C for China
Dish: Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice
So after trying 2 dishes from South America (Argentina & Brazil), we are travelling all the way to Easten Asia, to China. C for China was an obvious choice for me. Being in the apparel retail industry for as long as I did, I've had a lot of interaction with China and lot of Chinese too.
I went to China 8 years back for business and had a chance to try the local Chinese dishes. Traditional Chinese food is very different from the Chinese food we get in both India and the U.S. Both of the Indo-Chinese and American-Chinese dishes are highly customized and cater to the local palate.
Chinese cuisine is highly diverse and varies between the provinces. Styles and tastes are varied by class, region and ethnic backgrounds, A number of different styles contribute to Chinese cuisine but perhaps the best known and most influential are Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu and Szechuan cuisines. These styles are very distinct from one another due to factors such as availability of ingredients, climate, history, cooking technique and lifestyle.
Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice
I had so many Chinese dishes in mind that I wanted to try and I even asked one of my close Chinese friend to give me few recipes too. She told me few simple salad recipes, but that was before we went on India trip. At some point in the middle, I remembered this Shanghai Fried rice that I ate in Shanghai and I decided to make this simple fried rice for today.

Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice
This is a very simple fried rice with minimum ingredients. The main ingredient is 'Chinese Five Spice' powder. It is a combination of Star Anise, Cloves, Chinese Cinnamon, Black Pepper & Fennel seeds. You can either make it at home by grinding all the spices yourself or you can buy it pre-made, which is what I did. I added scrambled egg to make this rice a complete meal, but you can choose to omit it or add other protein (tofu, paneer etc) instead.
Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice
Ingredients: Serves 2
Cooked Rice - 3cups
Baby Bok Choy - 3 bulbs, chopped
Scallions - 4~5, chopped
Ginger - 1" piece, grated
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely minced
Soy sauce - 1tbsp
Chinese Five Spice - ½tsp
Red Chili flakes - ½tsp (optional) 
Eggs - 3 (optional)
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:
  • Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan or wok. Scramble the eggs to desired doneness, remove from the pan and set aside.
  • In the same pan, add 2tsp more oil and when hot, add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Once they turn golden, add the scallions and bok choy. Cook till the veggies are wilted, about 3~4 minutes.
  • Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, chinese five spice powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine all the ingredients. Fry till the rice is slightly crispy in the bottom.
  • Add the scrambled eggs and mix well. Serve hot and Enjoy!!
Vegetarian Shanghai Fried Rice

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44.
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18 comments:

  1. Such a lovely presentation Pavani..I remember reading about this recipe in the Mainland China cookbook..:)..

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  2. brilliant photography :-)) and a yummy dish.. wonder what you have in mind for X now that C is for china :-))

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  3. Fried rice looks awesome and it is such a simple recipe. I must try it.

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  4. The dish sounds simple and easy to prepare and love that pink bowl.

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  5. That is so true about Chinese cuisine. The one we eat is customized to local taste that natives of the country would not even recognize it.. :) Shanghai fried rice is appetizing. I don't mind having it for breakfast right now.

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  6. Wish i get that bowl for my dinner tonite, very inviting shanghai fried rice, love ur set up.

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  7. Shanghai fried rice looks stunning , would love to try it...

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  8. wow wonderul fried rice there pavani :) your presentation is apt for the contry with those chinese wares :) lovely set up and fantastic fried rice !!

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  9. I love 5-spice powder and must lend an earthy flavor to this rice

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  10. A stunning bowl of rice!! The pictures are beautiful.

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  11. Very tru about Chinese cuisine what we have in India is mix fo Indo-Chinese. fride rice is always well com looks so yumm.

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  12. The rice looks inviting and your photography skills are highlighting the dish and tempting us to dig in...and I guess one does modify any cuisine to one's own style.

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  13. You have presented it so beautifully Pavani.Simple yet hearty dish.I love the 5 spice blend.And rightly said, we tend to customize the Chinese dishes to suit our taste!!!

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  14. Lovely presentation girl!!! That is one warm bowl of comfort!!!

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  15. Very comforting rice bowl Pavani.. Pics & presentation both are awesome.

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  16. Wow what a delicious and comforting bowl of fried rice.

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  17. The five spice powder sounds very interesting... Have used all those spices in different combinations in Indian cooking, but this combo sounds very different. Must try it out and make this rice. Just LOVED that first click

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  18. Such a colourful looking platter. The fried rice snaps are making me hungry...

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