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Burmese Fried Rice with Shallots, Turmeric and Peas (Vegan)

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This Burmese fried rice is a quick vegan dish, filled with shallots, peas, and a touch of turmeric. It’s perfect for lunch and dinner

Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGANIt’s not often that I come across a cookbook that captivates me enough to make me want to cook every single dish in it, but I think I’ve found a match. I was casually perusing the cookbook section of my local library when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this book: Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid.

As I thumbed through its pages, it dawned on me how little I know about Burmese cooking, or Burmese culture, really. I loved the simplicity of the recipes. Turmeric, shallots, and peanut oil are the basic building blocks to most dishes. Fresh ginger, garlic, chiles, tomatoes, limes, fish sauce, and dried shrimp are layered on to give the food more complexity.

I decided to start with the fried rice because it seemed like the best introduction to Burmese cooking. It’s a simple dish that’s often served for breakfast along with some fried eggs or other leftovers. The cooking method is slightly different from how I would prepare a Chinese-style fried rice, and I had to fight off my instincts to throw in onions, soy sauce, or five-spice powder. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe by adding ginger, garlic, and sliced scallions.

Since peas are in season, I decided to use fresh peas here, but feel free to use frozen ones if that’s more readily available.

Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGAN

MASTERING MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES

  • Be sure to use cold, cooked rice: Traditionally, fried rice is made with overnight rice as a way to repurpose leftovers into a new dish. That’s why you want to start off this dish with cooked, chilled rice. Freshly cooked rice can be a bit mushy.
Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGAN
Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGAN
Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric!
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Servings: 4 to 5 servings

Burmese Fried Rice

This Burmese fried rice is a quick vegan dish that’s filled with shallots, peas, and a touch of turmeric. Recipe heavily adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil, or any vegetable oil
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots, a fairly large bulb
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 4 cups cooked, cold rice (I used brown rice)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon salt, add more if necessary
  • 2 scallions, sliced

Optional Toppings

  • chopped cilantro
  • red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Heat peanut oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add turmeric and let it dissolve in oil. Add shallots and cook for about 3 minutes, until they turn translucent. Be sure to stir the shallots frequently. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add rice and stir. Use the back of your spatula to break up any big clumps of rice. Add peas, salt, and sliced scallions. Continue cooking until rice has heated through, about a few minutes.
  • Top rice with chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with your favorite vegetables and protein.

Notes

If you cook rice or grains a lot, consider getting a rice cooker. I love this Instant Pot because it cooks rice in just 12 minutes! It also works as a slow cooker and pressure cooker.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Yields 4 servings. Amount per serving: Calories: 326, Total Fat 7.4g, Saturated Fat: 1.3g, Sodium: 591mg, Cholesterol: 0mg, Total Carbohydrate: 57g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2.4g, Protein 7g
Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!
Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGAN

Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! #VEGAN

Burmese Fried Rice - a quick and healthy vegan fried rice with shallots, peas, and turmeric! by @healthynibs

Lisa Lin Head Shot

Hey, there! I’m Lisa Lin

Here, you’ll find well-tested Asian recipes, pantry guides, and recipes from my sassy mother, Mama Lin. Through my recipes and cooking videos, I hope to honor the food and traditions that surrounded my Chinese American upbringing.

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  8. Melinda says

    Thank you for this super easy recipe. Just made it as a test run for a family who is coming from Myanmar next week. Turned out great! Hopefully they will like it too!

    Reply

  9. cleo says

    I’ve tried this recipe, and it turned out wonderfully! What is the leafy green vegetable served with the rice in the photo?

    Reply
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