If you’re familiar with my Instagram account, the picture component of this FODMAP friendly fried rice recipe is something you will already have seen. Numerous times in different bowls and on different backdrops. One such backdrop was a Japanese newspaper which was, as it turns out, advertising males of the night. They say all publicity is good publicity, so I feel I’ve still come out a winner.

FODMAP friendly vegetarian fried rice

This is a quick and easy recipe for FODMAP friendly vegetarian fried rice. It uses lots of vegetables, grated tofu, optional egg, vegetarian oyster sauce and gluten free soy sauce or Tamari. It is low FODMAP, protein packed and uses only one pot.

On the dietary front, this FODMAP friendly vegetarian rice is FODMAP friendly, gluten free, dairy free and has an egg free/vegan option. It’s a healthy weeknight dinner that makes excellent leftovers to boot.

FODMAP Friendly vegetarian fried rice ingredient notes

• Make sure you use gluten free soy sauce or tamari if the dish needs to be gluten free.
• On a similar note, ensure the vegetarian oyster sauce you use is gluten free (In Australia, I used Ayam brand).
• If you don’t need this to be vegetarian, feel free to add a protein of choice. If you’d like to make this vegan, use cubed tofu that has been cooked in the wok prior to starting the fried rice.
• Honestly, everything I (recently aka today) have learnt about fried rice, I learnt from this Serious Eats article. Personally, I found the trick of adding a scant amount of Tamari and then fine salt to taste an absolute winner. It tastes WAY MORE LIKE FRIED RICE while still being perfectly seasoned.

FODMAP notes

• Canned corn kernels are FODMAP friendly in a 75g serving size per person. A drained canned of corn kernels weighs 240g, and this fried rice serves 6-8, so the corn content is well below FODMAP limits.
• Canned peas are considered FODMAP friendly in 1/4 cup or 45g serves per person. I have used just over 1/2 cup (100g) in this recipe, so the peas are also within FODMAP limits.
• Firm tofu is FODMAP friendly in 160g serves per person and we’re using 400-500g for this stir fry.
• Oyster sauce is listed on the Monash app as being an oligos-fructans issue in 40g (2 tablespoon) volumes. I’m not sure if this is only for regular as opposed to vegetarian. Either way, we are using 5 tablespoons between 6-8 serves. If the fried rice serves 6, each serve should have approximately 16.6g of oyster sauce.

Substitution options

• You can add or omit ingredients depending on what works for you. If you can’t have peas, omit them! If you have a vegetable you like in fried rice, add it!
• Keep in mind that if the volume of vegetables you add is less than the recipe card, you will need to add less oyster sauce and soy sauce to compensate.
• I love adding carrot and Asian greens because they’re appropriate and low FODMAP.
• If you don’t need this vegetarian fried rice to be gluten free, you can use regular soy sauce.
• I quite like serving this fried rice with a fried egg. It’s optional, but it adds

STEPS TO FRIED RICE SUCCESS

I’m not a fried rice expert, but these are the tips and tricks I have learnt from my humble forays into the making of the delicacy.

1. Don’t use ‘wet’ rice. As the Serious Eats article says, anything with some sog to it will add sog to the end product. You can use rice you’ve cooked recently, (although a lot of people suggest to use old rice) but make sure it has dried out first.
2. To that end, once your rice has cooled enough to handle, lay it out on a lined baking sheet to dry out a little. I keep mine in the fridge for a couple of hours.
3. Ideally, use a wok and a gas burner. Again to quote the Serious Eats Article, use a flat pan and work in batches if you have an electric stovetop – you need flames to be going up the edges of a wok for it to be an effective cooking tool.
4. Cook your hard vegetables first, your other vegetables second and your rice last. Too much stirring will break up the grains.
5. Add only just enough Tamari to very very lightly colour the rice. Then, use a fine salt to season it to perfection. This is probably my most important tip to getting that fried rice flavour.
6. Move the rice around the the pan continually and allow some grains to get a little crispy.