Indonesia's beloved fried rice topped with a fried egg and served with crackers and pickled vegetables, a hearty everyday breakfast.
Nasi goreng is arguably Indonesia's most famous dish internationally, day-old rice fried with a spicy-sweet sambal-kecap manis paste until every grain turns a deep reddish-brown and takes on real depth of flavor. A quick spice paste of shallot, garlic and chile fried first forms the aromatic base, and the rice is added along with kecap manis, tossed hot and fast until fragrant and slightly crisp at the edges. Topped with a fried egg whose yolk is meant to be broken and stirred through at the table, and served alongside crunchy prawn crackers (krupuk) and a bit of pickled vegetable (acar), this is a full, satisfying breakfast found across Indonesia.
Serves 4
Blend shallots, garlic and chiles into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a hot wok and fry the spice paste until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps with a spatula.
Use genuinely cold, day-old rice — fresh warm rice releases too much moisture and turns the fried rice mushy instead of separate and crisp.
Toss the rice over high heat for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
Add kecap manis, soy sauce and salt, tossing everything together for 2 more minutes until well coated and fragrant.
In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up.
Serve the fried rice topped with a fried egg, with krupuk and acar on the side.
Use cold, day-old rice specifically — this is the single most important factor in achieving properly separate, fried rice grains rather than mush.
Fry the spice paste thoroughly until fragrant before adding rice, since this builds the essential aromatic base of the dish.
Serve with krupuk and acar as traditional accompaniments; they add crunch and acidity that balance the rich, sweet rice.
Adding shredded chicken, shrimp or diced ham makes for a heartier nasi goreng.
Nasi goreng kampung is a rustic village-style version often made with anchovies and extra chile.
A vegetarian version adds extra vegetables like carrot and green beans instead of meat.
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container; reheat in a hot wok or skillet rather than a microwave for the best texture.
Nasi goreng has ancient roots tied to the Chinese tradition of using leftover rice to prevent waste, adapted over centuries with Indonesian spices and kecap manis into what's now considered one of Indonesia's national dishes.
You can, but spread it on a tray to cool and dry slightly first, since warm, moist rice clumps and turns gummy when fried.
Mix regular soy sauce with brown sugar or molasses in roughly equal parts to approximate its thick, sweet character.
The rice was likely too fresh or moist — always use cold, day-old rice, breaking up clumps thoroughly before adding the seasonings.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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