Budaatai khuurga is Mongolia's everyday meat-and-rice stir-fry: strips of mutton or beef fried with onion, carrot, cabbage and bell pepper, then tossed with rice. Quick, mildly seasoned and filling, it is a go-to family dinner that makes good use of leftover rice.
Budaatai khuurga — sometimes called Mongolian fried rice — is a homely stir-fry of rice, mutton and a few vegetables, born where Mongolian herding meets East Asian technique. It is quick, filling family food.
Savory and lightly cumin-scented, the rice picks up the meat's fat and a gentle char from the wok, while the vegetables add sweetness and crunch. It is straightforward, filling comfort food with a faint smoky-salty edge.
High-heat stir-frying with cooled rice keeps the grains separate and lets them sear rather than steam, picking up wok flavor and rendered fat. Cooking vegetables in order of hardness ensures everything finishes tender at once.
Variations
Beef or mutton, added egg, extra chili for heat, or a soy-seasoned urban style.
On the Palate
Where Budaatai Khuurga sits in the Mongolian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 12 min
Cook rice ahead and let it cool, or use day-old rice.
Watch outUse cold, day-old rice — freshly cooked rice is too moist and steams into mush instead of frying up separate and dry.
- 26 min
Cut mutton or beef into thin strips and slice the vegetables.
- 31 min
Heat fat or oil in a wide pan or wok over high heat.
Watch outGet the wok smoking-hot before anything goes in — that fierce heat sears the food instead of stewing it in its own juices.
- 44 min
Stir-fry the slowest vegetables like carrot first, then add the rest.
- 53 min
Push vegetables aside and brown the meat strips through.
- 62 min
Add the cooled rice and toss everything together over the heat.
Watch outToss the rice constantly over high heat until every grain is loose and jumping in the pan — no clumps stuck to the bottom.
- 71 min
Season with salt, a little cumin and chili or soy sauce.
- 81 min
Stir until hot and evenly mixed, then serve.
