Nasi Goreng

About This Recipe

Nasi Goreng (literally 'fried rice') is considered by many Indonesians to be their national dish, and it is extraordinary in its depth of flavour for something so simple. The secret lies in two uniquely Indonesian ingredients: kecap manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce with a molasses-like richness, and terasi, the fermented shrimp paste that provides an incomparable savoury, almost smoky backbone. Day-old rice is essential — freshly cooked rice steams rather than fries and turns mushy. The dish is traditionally served topped with a lacy, crisp-edged fried egg, a scattering of crispy fried shallots and wedges of tomato and cucumber. Street vendors across Java serve it from smoking woks at all hours; it is equally at home as a midnight snack or a restaurant centrepiece.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 400 gcooked jasmine rice(day-old, refrigerated)
• 150 gchicken breast or prawns(diced or peeled)
• 3 tablespoonskecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoonsoy sauce
• 1 teaspoonterasi (shrimp paste)(or 1 teaspoon fish sauce)
• 3shallots(thinly sliced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2red chillies(sliced; adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoonsvegetable oil
• 2eggs
• 2spring onions(sliced)
• 50 gcrispy fried shallots(store-bought or homemade)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the spice paste

   Pound or blend the shallots, garlic, chillies and terasi into a rough paste using a mortar and pestle or small blender. If using fish sauce instead of terasi, add it later with the soy sauces.

   A mortar and pestle gives a more textured, authentic result than a blender.

2. 2

   Fry the paste

   Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot. Add the spice paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until deeply fragrant and the paste has darkened.

3. 3

   Add protein

   Add the chicken or prawns and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through, about 3–4 minutes for chicken or 2 minutes for prawns.

4. 4

   Fry the rice

   Break up the cold rice and add it to the wok. Toss and press with a spatula to break up any clumps. Fry over maximum heat for 3–4 minutes, pressing and tossing, until the rice is well coated and heated through with some slightly charred, crispy bits.

5. 5

   Season

   Add the kecap manis and soy sauce and toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes until the rice is an even deep brown. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the spring onions.

6. 6

   Fry the eggs and serve

   In a separate pan, fry the eggs in a little oil over medium-high heat until the whites are set and crispy at the edges but the yolks are still runny. Divide the rice between plates, top each with a fried egg and a generous handful of crispy fried shallots. Serve with cucumber and tomato wedges.

Variations

• •

  Add a tablespoon of sambal oelek for a spicier version.

• •

  Make it vegetarian by omitting the protein and terasi and adding extra vegetables such as cabbage and corn.

• •

  Nasi Goreng Kambing uses diced mutton with additional spices — a Javanese speciality.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and re-fried briefly in a hot wok.

Frequently Asked Questions