Did I hear you ask for a delicious, easy, minimal prep one pan dinner? Well here it is! Growing up in my house, fried rice was a staple, and always a favourite. Now I’m the cook in my own house and it’s still a favourite! I love indonesian fried rice with vegetables because it’s such a great, easy family meal. It’s simple enough for Finn to help me cook and he is still excited to eat it for lunch the next day too.
The best part about this recipe? It’s all cooked in one pan (except for the rice), which is my favourite way to cook.
Traditionally, this meal may have been low on the nutritional scale. Think jasmine rice (nutritionally empty), sodium laden soy sauce and bacon, with some frozen peas and corn. My version has had a bit of a makeover. It uses brown rice which boosts the fibre intake, has a huge hit of protein and a variety of fresh veg. You don’t have to follow my recipe to the tee, you can literally use whatever vegetables you have in the bottom of your fridge. Make sure you cut the fat from the bacon and the skin off the chicken to reduce the saturated fat. Also, to monitor your salt intake use a reduced salt variety of the ketjap manis (and even leave the bacon out if need be).
Easy peasy weeknight dinner here we come!
- 1 ½ cups brown rice, cooked as per packet instructions (measure when rice is
- uncooked)
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs garlic infused extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 rashers of bacon, fat removed and diced 1cm cubes
- 4 medium chicken breasts, diced 1cm cubes
- 1 lime, sliced in wedges
- 2 eggs
- 50 g tomato paste
- ½ cup ketjap manis (a sweet soy sauce)
- 2 spring onions, green parts only, sliced finely
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup roasted cashews
- 3 stems of celery, finely chopped
- 1 bunch bok choy, roughly chopped
- Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the carrot and cook for 5
- minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Increase the heat to high and add the chicken and bacon and cook for 5
- minutes or until cooked through, stirring regularly.
- Push everything in the pan to one side to make room to cook the eggs. Let
- them set for 30 seconds and then scramble and mix throughout the meat
- and vegetables.
- Add the rice, tomato paste and ketjap manis. Return to low heat and add
- bok choy, spring onions, long red chilli.
- Top with roasted cashews and serve with lime wedges.


Melanie Sharpe


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