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Finished takana chahan mounded on a blue-and-white striped plate, garnished with red pickled ginger on a wooden table

Takana Chahan (Japanese Fried Rice with Pickled Mustard Greens)

Golden, fluffy fried rice made with takana (pickled mustard greens) and pork — a Kyushu comfort-food classic. An egg coating keeps the grains separate and a spoonful of weipa adds instant savory depth.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large bowl cooked rice about 200 g, day-old or cooled works best
  • 1 egg for coating the rice
  • 1 tsp weipa (Chinese soup base) or chicken bouillon powder
  • 80-100 g thinly sliced pork cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 onion finely chopped
  • 50 g pickled takana (mustard greens) chopped; drain if very wet
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp soy sauce added at the end
  • 1 tbsp oil for frying
  • red pickled ginger (beni shoga) optional, for garnish

Method
 

  1. Cut the pork into small bite-sized pieces and finely chop the onion.
  2. Put the cooked rice in a bowl, crack in the egg, and add the weipa. Mix thoroughly until every grain is coated and pale yellow. Set aside.
  3. Roughly chop the pickled takana, squeezing out excess liquid if needed.
  4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook until it changes color.
  5. Add the onion and stir-fry until translucent.
  6. Add the chopped takana and a splash of soy sauce and stir-fry until fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.
  7. Add a little more oil to the hot pan, tip in the egg-coated rice, and fry — pressing then tossing — until the grains separate into fluffy golden rice.
  8. Return the takana-pork mixture to the pan and toss everything together until evenly combined and heated through. Taste and adjust.
  9. Mound onto a plate and garnish with red pickled ginger if desired. Serve hot.