...so after you cook your meat and vegetables and remove them from the pan, throw in your seasonings and sauces and fry them in the pan with little bit of oil for twenty seconds or so. you are cooking the raw taste out of the seasonings and soy and releasing any oils and hidden flavors with the high heat. don't let it burn, but after a few seconds you'll start to smell the garlic and chiles and other aromas fill the kitchen. add back in your other ingredients just to coat and heat through and you're done. if you bao(4) bottled sauces or soy sauce (where it is the main flavoring) for a few seconds beforehand, your dish will taste much better than if you add them at the end.

7. use day-old rice
when making fried rice, the rice has to be dry. this means you can't use freshly cooked rice which is bursting with moisture (steam). cook your rice the day before and stick it in the fridge till it's cold and hard. the longer you wait, the better. your dry, cold rice will fry much better and you won't end up with a soggy mess.
—chinese american princess 05.06.03