Chinese Vegetable Rice – A Vegan Version – China Sichuan Food

A summer delight version of Chinese vegetable rice with Yu Choy and crispy garlic oil. It is super easy to make, vegan-friendly, and super weight-loss-friendly.

Chinese Caifan

Chinese Caifan is a one-pot dish where rice, leafy greens, and seasoned meat are mixed or cooked together. There are so many different versions, differing by season or region. The main difference can be the leafy greens. Some common options include bok choy, yu choy, cabbage, spinach, Tong-Ho (Edible Chrysanthemum), and mustard greens.

You can mix in any seasonal leafy greens. In the Shanghai version, cured pork belly is the soul of classic Caifan. It melts during cooking, coating the rice in rich, savory oil. Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) is also a popular variation or addition in the Cantonese version.

This version is vegan-friendly and inspired by Teochew cuisine, using a highlighted seasoning garlic oil as a replacement for meat. So it is lighter and best for summer. Garlic oil can provide enough flavor and a lovely crunchy texture to the rice.

Step by step

Cook rice with Tri-Color Quinoa. That’s a common combination for Healthy Eatery.

Blanch the vegetables

I choose Yu Choy as my dark leafy green for this particular one. You can use whatever you get. But always choose tender and fresh ones.

• In a pot, bring enough water to a boil. Add a very small pinch of salt and a little vegetable cooking oil to prevent it from turning dark.
• Continue cooking until the water starts to boil again.
• Transfer the vegetables to iced water so we can stop the heating immediately.

Assemble

• Squeeze out the moisture from the cooked greens and finely chop them.
• In a mixing bowl, add cooked rice and chopped greens, add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of garlic oil. Mix well.

• 200 g Yu Choy or any other dark green leafy
• 2 serving Steamed Rice
• 2 tbsp. Garlic oil
• pinch of salt

• Cook rice with Tri-Color Quinoa. That’s a common combination for Healthy Eatery.

• In a pot, bring enough water to a boil. Add a very small pinch of salt and a little vegetable cooking oil to prevent it from turning dark.

• Continue cooking until the water starts to boil again.

• Transfer the vegetables to iced water so we can stop the heating immediately.

• Squeeze out the moisture from the cooked greens and finely chop them.

• In a mixing bowl, add cooked rice and chopped greens, add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of garlic oil. Mix well.