Ginger Fried Rice with Sugar Snap Peas is a light and satisfying way to use left-over rice. You may be surprised by this statement. Satisfying yes, but light? We’re all used to oily take-out fried rice that’s glistening and greasy. Or fried rice at home that’s coated in rich, umami oyster sauce. Both delicious, but not light by any stretch.
This recipe for Ginger Fried Rice with Sugar Snap Peas is not only a fantastic way to use left-over rice, it’s another delicious way to use sugar snap peas, which are growing faster than we can pick them. Like asparagus, the sugar snap pea season is relatively short, so I try to make the most of it. Of course, I eat copious peas right off the vine. For the peas that actually make it into the kitchen, I try to make a different dish using sugar snap peas every day until the vines die back. I always start with making a couple of quarts of Pickled Sugar Snap Peas, then start working my way through our list of favorite recipes, including Ginger Fried Rice with Sugar Snap Peas!
However, it’s not just the sugar snap peas that make this recipe light and unique. This recipe calls for a large quantity of ginger, a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. More ginger than you’ve probably ever used in a single dish! You do cook it just a bit to mellow its bite, but ginger is the overwhelming flavor. It works so well with the sweetness of sugar snap peas, but you could substitute whatever fresh veg you have. The basmati rice is quite light as well. I typically cook with short-grain brown rice, but when I make Fried Rice with Sugar Snap Peas, it must be basmati rice, which means meal-planning is a two-day endeavor. I’ll serve rice with a stir-fry or as a side, making enough to ensure that I’ll have enough basmati rice left over for this fried rice dish the next day.
Ginger Fried Rice with Sugar Snap Peas
Equipment
- 1 12-inch (or larger) wok
Ingredients
- 3 scallions
- 5 ounces sugar snap peas
- 2 knobs fresh ginger (approximately 1/2 cup, once grated)
- 1 or 2 radishes, for garnish
- olive oil
- 5 large eggs
- 1 t salt
- 5 cups cooked basmati rice
- 1/4 cup tamari
Instructions
- Prep veg – Chop the scallions, separating the white and green parts. Trim, peel, and grate the ginger using a microplane. Destem and thinly slice the radishes. Set aside. Destem and destring the peas.
- Sauté peas – Heat a scant amount of oil in your pan, then stir-fry the peas until they're heated through and just a bit softened. Remove from the pan and set the peas aside.
- Scramble eggs – Beat the eggs together with 1 t salt, and scramble gently in the pan. Remove from the pan and add the eggs to the plate with the peas.
- Cook rice – Add the rice, soy sauce, whites of the scallions, and ginger to the pan. Stir to combine, then pat down the rice mixture so that's it's evenly distributed in the pan. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes WITHOUT stirring. You'll get a slight char on the bottom layer of the rice.
- Finish – Stir the rice to distribute the crunchy bits, turn down the heat to medium, then add the peas and eggs back into the pan. Cook gently until warmed through, then remove from the heat and garnish with radish slices and the scallion greens.
