Fried Rice (Chofán Dominicano)
Chofán Dominicano is a common Dominican Style Chinese Fried Rice. It’s also the easiest and tastiest way to clear out your fridge in less than 20 minutes.
Did you know there is some Chinese influence on some Dominican dishes? There are actually 30,000 people of Chinese origin that live in the Dominican Republic. Chinese immigrants actually opened up many establishments including “Pico Pollo” where they sell fried chicken and Dominican and Chinese influenced meals. Chofán (chow fan) is one resulting dish. Even in Chinese-Dominican restaurants there is no “authentic” way of making it. Many variations exist that use different proteins, vegetables, etc. This is one I’ve loved making recently.
Why you’ll love this fried rice
I think the best part about this rice is it’s versatility. One of the reasons you won’t find the same variation is because you can very easily customize this dish to fit the vegetables you happen to have on hand. Make it super simple by using frozen chopped vegetables instead of chopping fresh ones. On top of that, I do appreciate the hint of smokiness in this recipe thanks to the smoked paprika. A really good alternative than adding pork or beef to this. While I didn’t add tofu to this dish, it’s very easy to add in as a replacement to eggs. Try out different combos until you find the combination that you fall in love with.
Tips for making Fried Rice (Chofán Dominicano)
- Use cold or left over rice. Leaving your rice in the fridge overnight tends to make it firmer. This prevents your rice from turning out mushy at the end of cooking your fried rice.
- Make sure your rice is firm and not mushy before using in your fried rice. Follow package instructions for preparing your rice or use a rice cooker to cook it perfect every time.
- To make this vegan, we just leave out the meat. If you want that smoky quality to your fried rice, just add some smoked paprika. You can also replace your meat or eggs in Chofan with some seitan or crumbled tofu.
- Use leftover veggies to make this dish come together very quickly.
How to make Fried Rice (Chofán Dominicano)
- Start by heating your oil in a pan.
- Add your onion and pepper and saute until onion is fragrant.
- Stir in cauliflower and continue to saute in oil for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in garlic and additional seasonings to coat.
- Stir in cold rice making sure to coat in all the seasonings then add in soy sauce and any frozen or tender vegetables.
- Keep moving fried rice around in pan. Once vegetables are cooked through, remove from heat and serve.
Some more Dominican Recipe Inspiration
Fried Rice (Chofán Dominicano)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Dominican
Description
Chofan Dominicano is a common Dominican Style Chinese Fried Rice. It's also the easiest and tastiest way to clear out your fridge in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 small red onion (diced)
- 1/2 bell pepper (diced)
- 1 cup cauliflower (roughly chopped)
- 4 large cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice that has been cooled or refrigerated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame or peas
- Bunch of kale or spinach (optional)
Instructions
- In a pan heated to medium heat, add oil and spread around pan.
- Add in onion and green bell pepper and sauté until onion is softened.
- Toss in chopped cauliflower and continue stirring around pan with onion and pepper mixture for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in minced garlic and sauté mixture continuously until garlic is fragrant, about one minute.
- Fold in paprika and oregano making sure it coats the vegetables well.
- Stir in rice, allowing rice to contact all the flavors in the pan while keeping mixture constantly moving in the pan.
- Continue sautéing for a minute and then add in soy sauce, edamame and kale.
- Continue to move rice around the pan until edamame is cooked through. Make sure soy sauce is absorbed into the rice before removing from heat. Serve as is or along with other protein options.
Notes
- For best result, making sure to opt for cooled or refrigerated rice for a firm texture.
- Feel free to swap vegetables out for other vegetables of your liking.
- Aim to keep vegetables roughly about the same size to encourage even cooking time.
- To make gluten free, opt for gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats
★ Catherine
