Dou Dou (豆豆)
This simple homemade fried rice sauce is a game-changer. Made with brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, gochujang, and Chinese five-spice, it transforms ordinary fried rice into something extraordinary. Plus, it doubles as a sweet soy glaze for tofu. 一款簡單卻威力無窮的自製炒飯醬，紅糖、醬油、味醂和韓式辣醬的完美組合，讓炒飯的美味更上一層樓。
📹 Watch the Recipe
Recipe by 家常素 Irene Yong
🥘 Why This Recipe Works
The magic of this sauce lies in its balance — the brown sugar provides deep caramel sweetness, soy sauce delivers salty umami, rice vinegar and mirin add brightness, while gochujang and five-spice bring subtle heat and aromatic complexity. Because the sauce is made separately and stored, you can use it all week for quick, consistent fried rice. It also thickens beautifully into a glaze — simply add cornstarch slurry and brush over pan-fried tofu for an instant sweet-savory coating.
6 sauce ingredients, one batch, 10 minutes — enough for 4-5 fried rice meals.
🛒 Ingredients
Fried Rice Sauce (炒飯醬)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brown sugar (紅糖) | ¼ cup |
| Soy sauce (醬油) | ¾ cup |
| Rice vinegar (米醋) | 2 tbsp |
| Mirin (味醂) | 2 tbsp |
| Sesame oil (芝麻油) | 1 tbsp |
| Chinese five-spice (五香粉) | ¼ tsp |
| Gochujang (韓式辣醬) | 1 tbsp |
For the Fried Rice (炒飯)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots (胡蘿蔔) | 70g | Diced |
| Courgette / Zucchini (西葫蘆) | 70g | Diced |
| Peas (豌豆) | 70g | |
| Garlic (大蒜) | 3 cloves | Minced |
| Ginger (生薑) | 1 tsp | Grated |
| Cold cooked rice (冷米飯) | 500g | Day-old works best |
| Avocado oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Fried Rice Sauce | 5 tbsp | |
| Spring onion (蔥) | To garnish |
👨🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Make the Sauce
- Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, five-spice, and gochujang in a small saucepan
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves
- Remove from heat and let cool. Store in a jar in the fridge
- Adjust sweetness, saltiness, or spice to your taste
Step 2: Prep the Vegetables
- Dice carrots and courgette into small cubes
- Mince garlic and grate ginger
- Ensure rice is cold (day-old refrigerated rice works best for fried rice)
Step 3: Stir-Fry the Rice
- Heat avocado oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat
- Add carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes
- Add garlic, ginger, courgette, and peas — stir-fry 1-2 minutes until fragrant
- Lightly season with salt
- Add cold rice, breaking up any clumps, and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes
- Add 5 tablespoons of the sauce, toss to coat evenly
- Season with black pepper and more salt if needed
- Garnish with chopped spring onion
Bonus: Tofu Glaze
- Mix 3 tbsp sauce + 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- Simmer over low heat until thickened
- Brush over pan-fried tofu for a sweet-savory glaze
💡 Tips & Substitutions
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| No gochujang? | Substitute with sriracha or sambal oelek + a pinch of sugar |
| No mirin? | Mix 2 tbsp sake + 1 tsp sugar, or use dry sherry |
| Sauce too thick? | Thin with a splash of water when stir-frying |
| No day-old rice? | Cook fresh rice, spread on a tray, chill 15 min in freezer before stir-frying |
📊 Nutrition
Per serving (serves 2-3): ~380 kcal | Protein 8g | Fat 9g | Carbs 68g | Fiber 4g
Ingredients
Method
Make Sauce
Prep Veg
Stir-Fry Veg
Finish Rice
Ingredients
Method
🌱 Why This Dish
Fried rice is one of the most beloved Chinese comfort foods — a staple in home kitchens and takeout menus alike. The key to exceptional fried rice has always been the wok hei (breath of the wok) and the quality of seasoning. This homemade sauce elevates both by providing a complex, pre-balanced flavor base that infuses every grain of rice. Gochujang (Korean chili paste) might seem unusual in a Chinese dish, but it represents the beautiful cross-pollination of Asian cuisines — much like how Chinese five-spice has influenced Korean cooking. This sauce is a testament to the idea that great cooking starts with great foundations.
