Vegan Fried Rice

Make this Instant Pot vegan fried rice with frozen vegetables and curry powder. Topped with tofu crumbles, it’s a quick and easy 8 ingredient vegan rice dish.

Do you have a go-to meal that is a comfort food, yet super easy to make?

This vegan rice dish is mine!

It’s easy to make, effortless, and really hits the spot!

Originally published on July 15th, 2015 at 5:21am. Click here to see why this recipe was updated.

Ingredients

Here is a quick look at the ingredients. It is to understand why these specific ingredients were chosen. To get the full recipe, go to the bottom of this post.

Basmati rice – I grew up on this stuff. We used to eat rice 6-7 days a week. It was always part of our daily dinner. These days, I have it down to once a week or less. White rice may not be the healthiest, but it’s ok to consume occasionally. Also, enhance it’s resistant starch property and it will make it better to eat. You can also make basmati rice stove top if you don’t like using the Instant Pot.

Mixed vegetables – Mixed veggies are frozen at their peak freshness, which makes them perfect for this recipe. These veggies are packed with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. P/S: Please use organic vegetables, if you can find them.

Curry powder – This is a blend of Indian spices that are designed to bring delicious flavor to rice. But, they are also spices that aid digestion and feed the gut.

Cumin seeds – These seeds are used extensively in Indian cooking. I think I put it in almost every meal I make. The good news is that they have flavonoids which works as antioxidant in your body.

Mint – I use mint in this recipe as a garnish, but it can also be put in with the veggies. Mint has a very cooling effect on the body and also helps bring down blood pressure. Source: Good Housekeeping and Epic Gardening

🧊 Handy Tip: Do not thaw out the veggies because they will be cooked anyway in the Instant Pot. Thawing and cooking it ruins their texture.

Instructions

1. Set your Instant Pot to “Saute” and add avocado oil to its inner container. Add oil, cumin seeds, and 1 tsp of curry powder. Mix well.
2. Gently add the frozen veggies. Do not thaw them.
3. Add salt and mix well. Let it saute for 5 minutes
4. Slowly put in the basmati rice and give it a quick stir. I use this (Affiliate Link) measuring cup to measure out all my ingredients.
5. Add the water and 1 Tbsp of curry powder.
6. Close the lid of the Instant Pot, set it to “Rice” and remove “Keep Warm”. It will cook for about 15 minutes. Ideally, let the float valve drop before opening.
7. Top this rice with my homemade tofu tempeh crumbles for added protein.

Stir well and serve. If it’s part of my meal prep for the week, I like to store it in these (Affiliate Link) cute glass containers. I also put edamame on the side or sauteed mushrooms.

👩‍🍳 Substitution tip: Don’t have basmati rice? Use Jasmine rice or any long grain rice.

Healthy substitutes for white rice

• Brown rice – It’s a little less processed than white rice making it a healthier sub for white rice.
• Quinoa – It’s perfect for vegans because quinoa is a complete protein.
• Amaranth – This ancient grain also happens to be a complete protein and blends well with frozen veggies.
• Cauliflower rice – It can easily be made in the Instant Pot.
• Shirataki noodles – these zero-carb noodles are the perfect keto substitute for rice.

Answering Common Questions

🍚 Handy Tip: If you have the time, soak the rice for 30min to 2 hours. It reduces the starch content of the rice.

Make ahead and storage

This is one of my favorite meal-prep recipes because I can make it ahead and use it during the week. However, I would suggest serving it piping fresh, right out of the Instant Pot.

Make this recipe as mentioned below and then transfer it to glass containers. Refrigerate (not freeze) and use it within one week.

Making rice in the Instant Pot is a huge time saver. That’s why, I like to make batches of all kinds of rice in advance. Yesterday, I made this Instant Pot coconut rice using just 5 ingredients. It’s perfect for a side for a 15-minute stir-fry.

If you are not comfortable using an Instant Pot to make rice, there are several options. You can use rice cookers, stovetop, casserole dishes in the oven, and even your slow cooker. Speaking of rice cookers, these rice cooker recipes are a dream for rice lovers everywhere.

Reheating vegan fried rice

If you put the rice in a glass container, then the best way to heat it is in the oven. Put the glass container in a 250°F (121°C) preheated oven and heat for 10-15 minutes. The heat time depends on the amount of leftover rice.

To reheat in the Instant Pot, add a little oil to the container of the IP. Then, add the rice, close the lid, and choose the “Steam” option. Set steam for 3-5 minutes. The time will depend on the amount of rice you are reheating.

📦 Storage tip: Cooked rice is best stored in a rice container because it’s easier to put it in the oven.

How to serve this vegan rice

This rice is a great side to Indian dishes like Bombay potatoes, bhindi fry, kadai paneer, or sweet potato curry. It makes for a wholesome meal.

Surprisingly, this vegan rice recipe goes great with air fryer vegetables too. I know it may seem like a lot of veggies, but it actually tastes so good. Try and let me know what you think.

Serving this rice with kung pao tofu can up the protein content of this meal. Even air-fryer tempeh is a perfect protein to add to this meal.

Try these rice recipes

1. Pineapple fried rice where rice, pineapple, and jalapeno make for a winning combination.
2. Saffron rice is not only delicious, it’s also a beautiful rice dinner.
3. Peanut rice is an authentic South Indian rice recipe that is also a little nutty.
4. Coconut rice has Island flavors and no one can eat just one bowl!
5. Broccoli rice casserole is where the cheese makes it easy to eat the broccoli.

🍅 Handy Tip: If you have nuts like Spanish-style peanuts or cashews, add them to the rice. It adds a crunch and texture.

Sharing is caring

Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this vegan fried rice recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it 5 stars and share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

Version 1

From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover

In this recipe, I kept the main ingredients but completely changed the seasonings and sauces. I wanted to make it super easy to make, instead of the complicated recipe it was originally.

Also, those images, right? UGH!! I don’t know what I was thinking!

Check out the original post and recipe here.