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A bowl of vegetarian Thai basil fried rice topped with fresh chopped basil, cilantro, and creamy avocado pieces, served in a white dish.

Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice Recipe

Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice is a flavorful and vibrant dish made with fragrant jasmine rice, sautéed vegetables, cashews, and aromatic herbs. It’s a perfect balance of savory, spicy, and fresh, with a hint of sweetness from the soy and vegetarian oyster sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine asian
Servings 3 people
Calories 470 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant pot
  • Measuring cups
  • Fork (for fluffing rice)
  • stirring spoon

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce

Rice

  • 7 oz pan-fried tofu cubes
  • 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • ¾ cups Thai basil leaves
  • 2 Thai chiles
  • 1 small onion sliced

Garnish

  • Salad
  • Lime juice
  • Cucumber slices

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then place it in the Instant Pot with water.
    rinsing-rice-before-cooking
  • Close the lid, select manual or pressure cook, and set to high pressure for 3 minutes, ensuring the valve is sealed.
    cooking-rice-for-thai-fried-rice-in-an-instant-pot
  • Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork, transfer it to a separate bowl, and set aside.
    fluffing-cooked-rice-with-a-fork-to-separate-each-grain-with-fork
  • Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot.
  • There's no need to clean the pot.
    preheating-the-instant-pot-for-sauteing
  • Add oil to the hot pot, followed by garlic and ginger, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic and ginger start to change color.
    garlic-and-ginger-sauteing-in-a-pan
  • Add cashews and cook for another minute.
    cashews-being-added-to-the-pan
  • Then, toss in onion, red pepper, and green chili, and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Push the veggies to the side and pour in soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and sriracha.
    sauteing-onions-red-peppers-and-green-chili
  • Stir to combine everything.
    pouring-sauces-into-the-stir-fry
  • Add the cooked rice and mix well, seasoning with black pepper and salt.
    cooked-rice-being-mixed-into-the-pan
  • Turn off the Instant Pot, add the chopped basil and cilantro, and mix until the herbs wilt.
    adding-salt-and-black-pepper-to-the-rice
  • Finally, stir in whole Thai basil leaves.
    giving-the-final-stir-to-the-fried-rice

Notes

  • Rinse the rice thoroughly to remove excess starch, helping it cook fluffier.
  • Adjust the spiciness by modifying the amount of sriracha and green chili to suit your taste.
  • For a richer flavor, use roasted cashews or peanuts.