I went to an all-girls primary school and had an amazing time. I grew up with politeness for teachers and was encouraged to be in-touch with my performing arts side. By no means I’m a theatre kid, but having 3 hours of Performing Arts per week in our standard timetable for almost 6 years definitely helped me to be less shy and more expressive, which I’ve casually lost the muscle for over the years haha.

My best friend in primary school had a helper who would cook fried rice in this style. I love it so much because of the big flavours fried shallots and chilli padi would bring. I can’t quite remember if I truly spent every afternoon in her home after school, but I remember this dish with 100% clarity. I still feel the same level of joy and satisfaction when I eat this today, some things from childhood never change❤️

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple ingredients you probably already have
A little heat, a little sweetness — chilli padi + fried shallots + kicap manis makes the flavour irresistible
Fast and satisfying — ready in under 20 minutes, perfect for a quick dinner fix

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
0.5 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 tbsp kicap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1–2 tbsp fried shallot oil
1–2 chilli padi, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 servings of cooked rice (preferably cold, leftover rice)
400g chicken breast or boneless, skinless thighs
1 - 2 eggs, beaten
Neutral oil, for frying (I use avocado oil)
Salt & pepper to taste (white or black is fine, I prefer black)

Method

Slice chicken into strips or cubes, then add to hot pan. Cook for about 6 - 8 minutes then add salt & pepper to season lightly.
Prep your aromatics: Add minced garlic to the pan and stir-fry until fragrant. You can use more oil if you feel you need to. Be careful to control the heat because you don’t want the garlic to burn!
Veggies next: Add frozen vegetables and fry until heated through.
Rice time: Add cooked rice and break up any clumps. Drizzle fried shallot oil over the top, this helps everything to combine a bit better.
Season: Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, and kicap manis. Toss until every grain is glossy and coated.
Eggs: Push everything to the side of the pan and pour in beaten egg mixture. Let it set and cook for 2 minutes, you may add salt and pepper if you wish, then scramble lightly, then mix everything together. I like doing this so the wet egg does not make the rice all mushy. You also get to enjoy the cooked egg texture with the other ingredients.
Finish strong: Add more fried shallots & mix in freshly cut chilli padi before serving. Enjoy!~

Product(s) Highlight

Storage & FAQ

Q1 Can I swap the chilli padi?
Yes! If you don’t take spice, leave it out or replace with big red chillies. But if you can handle heat, nothing else compares to that punchy, fiery kick I personally live for!

Q2 What rice works best?
Day-old jasmine rice, but honestly, I’ve made this with freshly cooked rice more times than I can count and it turned out the same, really. Not everyone has leftover rice sitting in the fridge and that shouldn’t stop you from making this recipe.

Q3 Do I really need the fried shallot oil?
Yes. It’s the one thing that makes this fried rice taste like what I’m trying to share haha. You can buy ready-made fried shallots and use the oil from the jar, or fry your own shallots in bulk (I always have this in my kitchen).