¼ cup/60 ml neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1 in/2.5 cm matchsticks

4 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

ground black pepper

1 cup/100 g shredded cabbage

4 cups/800 g day-old cooked plain rice

1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

4 large eggs, lightly whisked

¾ cup/85 g bean sprouts

¼ cup/18 g crispy fried onions

½ cup/90 g pickles, drained and minced

Fine sea salt

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves

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Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a wok. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic and ginger turn golden brown and crisp. If the garlic begins to burn, reduce the heat or remove it from the heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat in the wok. Add and stir-fry the scallions until they start to sear, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, ½ tsp black pepper, cabbage, rice, and soy sauce, in this order. Stir fry until the rice turns brown and crisp, for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Wipe the wok clean.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook until scrambled, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the crisped garlic, ginger, rice mixture, bean sprouts, crispy fried onions, and pickles. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Remove from the heat, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately. Leftovers will be good for up to 3 to 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can use any rice here. Basmati or short grain, brown or white. What’s more important is to make sure it’s plain, boiled, and at least a day old.
To get the rice crisp during stir-frying, I give it “short breaks” during cooking. I spread it out over the wok’s surface and let it sit for a minute or two before stirring it during stir-frying. This helps the rice develop its crust.
For a more robust pickle flavor, double the quantity of chopped pickles.
Salt the fried rice carefully; both soy and pickles carry salt.

Fried Rice with Pickles