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This veggie- and flavor-packed Schezwan fried rice recipe is incredibly easy to make! I’ve simplified this Indo-Chinese dish to be a lot quicker without sacrificing any of its amazing, complex flavor!
Table of Contents
This is an Indo-Chinese fried rice. Indo-Chinese cuisine has its own variations of certain Chinese-inspired recipes, and there are some which are just specialties of the Indo-Chinese cuisine. They don’t really exist anywhere else. They’re just recipes created to fit into the fusion cuisine.
This recipe has this fiery red-colored from-scratch sauce called indo-Chinese Schezwan sauce or Schezwan chutney, that I used to to make sauces with crispy veggies or protein and fried rice.
It tastes amazing!! It’s actually not that spicy, despite the red-looking sauce, because of the Kashmiri chilies that are used in the recipe. The traditional recipe involves making the Schezwan paste from scratch or using a store -bought Schezwan sauce.
But I am shortening all of that. I am making a shorter recipe here, so that you don’t have to pre-make anything.
Instead, I use a combination of Kashmiri chili powder and ginger-garlic paste to make a quick, Schezwan sauce substitute that works beautifully in this recipe.
I obviously use a lot of Kashmiri chili powder these days in my recipes. It’s a good investment if you get the real deal. Like any other chili powder, you can substitute paprika here, but the flavors of the chilies vary significantly, so I definitely recommend getting your hands on some Kashmiri chili powder. To add some protein, I use some quinoa along with the rice. You can add some shredded tofu or top with crisped tofu as well.
Why You’ll Love Schezwan Fried Rice
- easy, one-pan meal
- simplified recipe with fewer ingredients and fewer steps but still tons of flavor!
- quinoa-rice mixture in a vibrant, red Schezwan sauce
- nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options
More Recipes Using Kashmiri Chili Powder
Schezwan Fried Rice (Indo-Chinese)
Ingredients
For the Rice-Quinoa Mixture
- 3/4 cup white basmati rice
- 1/4 cup quinoa, or you can use more white basmati rice
- 1 1/2 cups water, or stock
For the Fried Rice
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 1 hot green chili, such as Serrano or Indian, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped carrots
- 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1/4 cup chopped cabbage
- 2 tablespoons green onion, Use the whites of the green onions and reserve the greens for garnish.
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems, or use cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, , use tamari for Glutenfree
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder, or use paprika
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, or use 4 cloves garlic and 1/2 inch ginger and make a paste in a blender or mortar and pestle with a few drops of rice vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or more, to taste
For Garnish
- black pepper
- reserved green onions
Instructions
Prepare the rice-quinoa mixture.
- Wash the rice and quinoa, then add to a saucepan. Add the stock and a pinch of salt, then cover with a lid over medium heat. Once the stock has come to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 9 to 10 minutes, or until the rice and quinoa are both cooked to preference.
- Fluff them really well, and set them aside until you need them for the fried rice. Or use 2-2.5 cups of cooked grains of choice.
Make the Schezwan fried rice.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and green chili to the pan and mix well. (I use a food processor/chopper to mince the garlic ginger and chili together). Cook until they are starting to turn translucent, then add in the onion, carrots, and a good pinch of salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add in the peppers, cabbage, cilantro, and salt and toss well. If you want to use more veggies, you can also add in some frozen veggies at this point and toss well.
- Cook for a minute, then mix in all of the sauces and the spices. Bring the mixture to a boil,1-2 mins, then add in the cooked rice-quinoa mixture, tossing well to mix it in with all of the sauces. If it is drying out too much, add in some splashes of water to help mix everything in, then switch off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for the flavors for meld for about 2 minutes.
- Open the pan and fluff the Schezwan rice again. Garnish with the green onion and some black pepper, if you like, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- white basmati rice and quinoa – You can use my rice-quinoa mixture or grains/grain mix of your choice as long as you have around 2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked grains.
- oil – To sauté.
- aromatics – garlic, ginger, and green chili bring the first layer of flavor to the sauce. Save time by chopping these all together in your food processor.
- onion – Red onion works best in this recipe.
- veggies – Carrots, bell peppers, and cabbage bring lots of veggies to this Schezwan fried rice! You can also add frozen mixed veggies, if you want an even more veggie-forward dish.
- cilantro – Adds another layer of amazing flavor!
- ketchup – Adds a touch of sweetness and umami to the quick Schezwan sauce.
- vinegar – For tang.
- soy sauce – Adds saltiness and umami. Use coconut aminos for soy-free.
- Kashmiri chili powder – You can use paprika, if you prefer, but you’ll get the best and more authentic-tasting results with the real thing.
- white pepper – Adds a touch of heat and even more flavor.
Tips
- If you can get your hands on real Kashmiri chili powder, you’ll be so glad that you did! I use this ingredient in a lot of my Indian recipes, so don’t worry — it won’t go to waste.
- Making the rice-quinoa mixture first allows the grains some time to rest while you make the sauce. You can also make this with leftover grains or your grains of choice, as long as you have about 2 to 2 1/2 cups total.
- Save prep time by mincing the ginger, garlic, and chili together in the food processor.
How to Make Schezwan Fried Rice
First, prepare the rice-quinoa mixture.
Wash the rice and quinoa, then add to a saucepan. Add the stock and a pinch of salt, then cover with a lid over medium heat. Once the stock has come to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another nine to 10 minutes, or until the rice and quinoa are both cooked to preference.
Fluff them really well, and set them aside while you make the sauce.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and green chili to the pan and mix well. Cook until they are starting to turn translucent, then add in the onion, carrots, and a good pinch of salt, and cook for two to three minutes.
Then add in the pepper, cabbage, cilantro, and salt and toss well. If you want to use more veggies, you can also add in some frozen veggies at this point and toss well.
Cook for a minute, then mix in all of the sauces and the spices.
Bring the mixture to a boil, 1-2 mins, then add in the cooked rice-quinoa mixture, tossing well to mix it in with all of the sauces. If it is drying out too much, add in some splashes of water to help mix everything in, then switch off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for the flavors for meld for about two minutes.
Open the pan and fluff the Schezwan rice again. Garnish with the green onion and some black pepper, if you like, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is naturally nut-free. You can make it soy-free by using coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
The difference is in the seasonings. Schezwan fried rice is an Indo-Chinese version of fried rice that uses more ginger and chili. Schezwan fried rice also has a vibrant, red color from the Kashmiri red chilis used in the sauce.
Whoops, I was so delighted to source Kashmiri chilli for this recipe….. until I made it tonight and realised I should have used powder not flakes! I hadn’t put in a whole tbs but it was definitely fiery although not red, d’oh. Richa can I somehow magic the flakes into powder for next time?
You can grind them into powder in a spice grinder or in your blender if it has that function.
I always have subbed the Kashmiri chili powder with smoky paprika. I made this recipe and it was sooo good, but the paprika just was not right. I finally broke down and ordered the Kashmiri chili powder and I LOVE IT!! I may never use paprika again!!!! Thank you for introducing the wonders of this, fenugreek, amchoor, and so many more different spice options <3
Yes! Kashmiri chili has its own flavor! I am so glad you got it coz I use it many other recipes!!
Amazing recipe! So flavorful. Can this be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days? Planning to serve it as a party dish
Rice texture changes on refrigeration. You can refrigerate for upto 3 days and reheat and serve
Sooo tasty!! Thank you for a healthy, delicious, and less than 30 min meal, Richa!! Great addition of the ketchup! I’ve never used that in Asian dishes!
Goes so well with schezwan tofu, which is in draft!
Loved the rice and quinoa blend. Soooo much better than rice on its own. Think this is the way I will prepare rice from now on. Much lighter. Love the nutty flavor of the quinoa with the rice. Forgot cabbage used almost a whole head of cauliflower. Recipe very forgiving. Added tofu and cashews on top. I thought it was delicious and so did my whole family. I’ve been following you for many years. Thank u!!
🙂 thank you!
Hi
Completely used quinoa instead of rice and made it
Unfortunately did not have green onions but the recipe
Is amazing
Yay!!