Chahan (Japanese-Style Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp lard
- 2 eggs
- 200 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice or Calrose "sushi rice"
- 80 g pork chashu cubed, fatty cut; or thick-cut bacon (reduce salt if using)
- 3 slices kamaboko fish cake cubed, or narutomaki
- ¼ Japanese leek (naganegi) white part only, finely diced (or regular leek/scallions)
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 g salt 1% of the rice quantity, approx ¼ tsp per 200g
- ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp chashu marinade alternative: mixture of 1 tbsp tsuyu sauce, 1 tsp sake, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp water, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 grated garlic, and a pinch of sugar
- red pickled ginger (benishoga) to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a wok on a high heat and melt ½ tbsp lard.
- Crack 2 eggs into the wok and break it up while frying until it reaches a runny scrambled egg consistency, about half cooked.
- Add 200 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice (cooled) to the wok. Break it up and mix well.
- Once the eggs are cooked through, add 80 g pork chashu, 3 slices kamaboko fish cake and ¼ Japanese leek (naganegi). Stir fry for a few minutes or until the ingredients are warmed through and evenly distributed.
- Pour 2 tbsp chashu marinade down the side of the wok (if you didn't make chashu, see note for alternative) and sprinkle the rice with 2 g salt, ¼ tsp ground white pepper and ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder.
- Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and occasionally toss to help dry out the rice a little.
- Pack rice into a ladle or small bowl and flip it onto a plate. Garnish with red pickled ginger (benishoga) and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Chicken bouillon powder varies by brand. My brand is 1 tsp per 200 ml, so check the label and if yours is more concentrated (e.g., 1 tsp per 300 ml or 1 cup), use touch less to avoid oversalting.
For the best texture, use just-cooked to next-day Japanese short-grain rice cooked on the firm side. If using cold rice from the fridge, microwave briefly until warm and loose.
Keep each batch to about 200-250 g rice in a 30 cm wok or large skillet, especially on IH/electric.
Lard is the key to ramen-shop depth here. Neutral oil will work in a pinch, but you'll lose some porky richness.
If you don't have chashu marinade, mix 1 tbsp tsuyu, 1 tsp sake, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp water, ½ tsp grated ginger, ½ tsp grated garlic, and a small pinch of sugar for a quick stand-in.
When using fatty bacon instead of chashu, reduce the added salt slightly.
Serving ideas: Easiest "Tonkotsu" Ramen, Classic Pork Gyoza, Spinach Ohitashi, Chilled Tofu (Hiyayakko)
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