Homemade Cantonese fried rice

📝 Ingredients

• 150 g day-old cooked rice (ESSENTIAL — fresh rice is too moist)
• 2 eggs
• 60 g ham or cooked chicken, diced
• 60 g peas (frozen, thawed)
• 2 spring onions
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• Salt, white pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Wok or large frying pan
• Bowl for the eggs

📖 Steps

1. Break up the cold rice with your hands to separate the grains — clumped grains = lumpy fried rice.
2. Heat the wok over maximum heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the groundnut oil.
3. Add the cold rice all at once. Spread it out and let it toast for 1–2 min without stirring so the bottom crisps up. Stir and repeat.
4. Push the rice to the sides and crack the eggs into the centre of the pan. Scramble them quickly, then mix into the rice before they're fully cooked.
5. Add the ham, peas, spring onions and ginger. Stir-fry briskly for 1 min.
6. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir for 30 sec over high heat.
7. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately — fried rice doesn't get better with waiting.