Last Updated on February 14, 2021
Being Asian, I love fried rice of all kinds! This Lemongrass Turmeric Fried Rice is Southeast Asian inspired dish that is super easy & quick to make with a help of premade vegan-friendly lemongrass turmeric paste. It has a hint of spiciness and aromatic from the fresh shallots and lime.
The Lemongrass Turmeric Paste
This is one of the free complimentary products that I received from Mekhala. I’ve made the pasta dish with their red curry paste and the rice noodle dish with yellow curry paste. And now, I used the lemongrass turmeric paste for making delicious fried rice! All those three products are organic, vegan, and gluten-free but I must say, this one is my favorite one!
To introduce you a little about the product (quoted from their website), it is made of:
- Lemongrass*
- Shallots*
- Galangal*
- Lime Juice*
- Turmeric*
- Himalayan Pink Salt
*Organic ingredients
and it’s:
- EU & USDA Organic
- Vegan
- No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
- No sugar
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Oil-free
- Not spicy
- Soy-free
- No spice
On the back of the jar, there is a recommendation of “how to make fried rice” so that’s what I did with a little twist!
The Ingredients
- Sunflower Oil (or any neutral oil)
- Garlic
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes
- Day-Old Plain Leftover Basmati Rice (or any other rice of your choice)
- Lemongrass Turmeric Paste (from Mekhala)
- Frozen Green Peas
- Salt
- Shallot (topping)
- Lime (topping)
- Cilantro (topping)
The Cooking Tips
- Spiciness
Since the paste was not as spicy as I like, I added red chili pepper flakes to give more heat!
- The Choice of Rice
To make good fried rice, you NEED to use day-old cold rice! For this dish, I chose basmati rice to go with the Southeast Asian theme.
- How much paste to use
The amount of the paste to the rice, I followed the recommendation on the jar which was 1 tbsp to 1 cup rice. It was a perfect amount!
- Options
I like keeping my fried rice minimum & simple but feel free to add more veggies and/or proteins like tofu or tempeh.
- What’s the TWIST?
What makes this dish so special is the use of raw shallots and lime rind as toppings! The fresh shallots gives a nice onion-y/garlicky bite and the lime rind adds a citrusy and pleasantly bitter bite!! The lime rind needs to be chopped up small otherwise it can be overwhelming to bite into big chunks or strips.
The Taste
I personally think, it taste like a crossover rice dish between Thai and Indian. It has a hint of spiciness and you can certainly taste the aromatic lemongrass from the paste as well as the added garlic, raw shallots, and fresh cilantro. Not to mention, the use of lime rind with a squeeze of fresh lime juice really brightens up the overall flavor of the fried rice. It turned out to be one of my favorite fried rice I ever made!
Feeling Inspired?
Try other easy-to-make vegan fried rice creations.
Lemongrass Turmeric Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
- 3 cups day-old plain leftover basmati rice (or any other rice of your choice, separate the grains)
- 3 tbsp lemongrass turmeric paste (I use the one from Mekhala)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 3/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Toppings
- 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
- 1 lime see the recipe for instructions
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- For the lime, use a knife to peel off a few strips of lime rind. Cut into thin strips and mince it. About 1 tsp of minced lime rind will be good for the recipe (2 servings.) Save the rest for squeezing fresh lime juice for right before serving. Set those aside.
- Heat up a large non-stick frying pan or wok at medium-high heat. Pour 1/2 tbsp of sunflower oil, then add garlic and red chili pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
- Next, add rice and another 1/2 tbsp of sunflower oil over the rice. Keep mixing and make sure that the grains are all separated. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice is reheated. If it’s burning quick, reduce the heat.
- Add lemongrass turmeric paste. Stir until the rice grains are well coated with the paste. Add frozen green peas and cook for a few minutes until the peas are defrosted. Season with salt and taste it.
- Serve with shallot, lime rind, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top.
Notes
- It’s important to separate the grains with a rice paddle (or a fork) before cooking.
- Adjust the amount of salt if the rice has previously been seasoned.
- Feel free to add other veggies and/or proteins like tofu or tempeh.
![BRAZIL NUT PARMESAN
[パルメザン風ブラジルナッツ]
My simple & classic vegan nut cheese, Brazil Nut Parmesan, never gets old! I sprinkle this deliciousness on just about everything — pasta, salad, toast, and more!
I love making a big batch and keeping it in the fridge for whenever I need a quick and flavorful topping.
Want to try it? The complete recipe with step-by-step instructions is available at plantbasedmatters.net](https://plantbasedmatters.net/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)