Egg-fried rice is probably the most well-known and ordered food from the Chinese takeaway, even though it is actually very easy to make at home. The most important thing to remember is to use pre-cooked rice that has been left to cool completely, as fresh rice will become gluey and sticky. This makes it a great dish to use up leftovers and is probably how fried rice first came about.
You can really add any vegetable you have in the fridge to the fried rice; peas, carrots and bean sprouts all work well, as do prawns and chopped ham for a bit of extra protein.
Egg-fried rice makes a great midweek supper or part of a Chinese feast, Frances Atkins serves her egg-fried rice with raw grated beetroot and carrot.