Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) Recipe

Nasi Goreng is the popular Indonesian fried rice which is traditionally served with a fried egg. I love the unique dark brown, caramelised colour of the rice! It’s a simple recipe, you won’t need to hunt down any unusual ingredients, and it’s one of my favourite Indonesian foods – and I’m betting you will love it too. 

Anyone who has been to Bali would be familiar with Nasi Goreng and probably had it almost every day because it’s everywhere and darn delicious!

So for those who have tried and love Nasi Goreng, you will be surprised how easy this is to make in your very own home.

And for those who haven’t tried it, I hope you do!

What is Nasi Goreng?

The literal translation of Nasi Goreng is “fried rice” in Indonesian and Malaysian – and that’s exactly what it is! It’s mainly rice with just a little bit of meat and just onion for the vegetables. The thing that distinguishes it from other Fried Rice dishes is the sauce which is made with kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce that stains the rice dark brown and caramelises the rice when it cooks.

Typically it’s served with a sunny side up egg (love how the yolk runs into the rice!) and a side of fresh cucumber and tomato (no dressing) to make a meal of it.

Shrimp Paste is optional!

As with almost every traditional dish, there are many versions of Nasi Goreng. Some are more complicated than others, calling for the use of dried shrimp (belacan) which, astonishingly, is now sold in large supermarkets in Australia as well as Asian stores.

I make it with, and I make it without. It’s tasty even without dried shrimp.

But it is tastier and more authentic with dried shrimp.

So I’ve compromised and taken the easy route by using shrimp paste rather than dried shrimp which requires more effort in the preparation process (crumble and toast before using).



Ingredients
For the Spice Paste:

2 small shallots (2 ounces; 55g), roughly chopped
3 medium cloves garlic
1 large fresh green chile, such as Fresno or Holland, stemmed and seeded, or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, such as Huy Fong (see note)
1/2 teaspoon terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste), optional (see note)

For the Nasi Goreng:

4 cups cold cooked jasmine rice (21 ounces; 600g) or other medium- to long-grain rice (see note)
2 tablespoons (30ml) neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower oil
2 tablespoons (30ml) kecap manis (see note), plus more for drizzling
2 teaspoons (10ml) soy sauce
Kosher salt
Ground white pepper

To Serve:

2 large fried eggs, cooked sunny-side up or over easy
Sliced cucumbers (optional)
Sliced tomatoes (optional)
Fried shallots (optional)

Directions:

💋For the Spice Paste: Add half the shallots to a mortar and grind with pestle until a coarse purée forms. Add remaining shallots, followed by garlic, chile, and terasi (if using), grinding with pestle until each ingredient is mostly incorporated before adding the next. The final paste should resemble thick oatmeal in texture. Alternatively, combine all spice paste ingredients in a small food processor and process until they form a paste.

💋For the Nasi Goreng: If using day-old rice, transfer rice to a bowl and break rice up with your hands into individual grains.

👄Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add spice paste and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of wok or pan to prevent paste from burning, until a pungent smell permeates your kitchen and paste turns a few shades darker, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium at any time if paste appears to be browning too quickly.

👄Add rice to wok and stir to coat with spice paste. Add kecap manis and soy sauce. Stir and cook until rice is evenly colored and hot throughout. Season with salt and white pepper.

👄Divide rice between two plates and top each plate of rice with a fried egg. Garnish with cucumber and tomato slices and shower with fried shallots, if you like. Serve immediately with kecap manis alongside for drizzling.

Special Equipment

Mortar and pestle, large wok or skillet

Notes

1. Terasi is an Indonesian shrimp paste that can be found in well-stocked Asian markets or online. We recommend purchasing handy single-serving packets. If you can't find terasi, you may substitute belacan (Malaysian or Singaporean shrimp paste) or Thai shrimp paste, or simply omit it altogether.
2. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chile paste, traditionally made with nothing more than hot red chiles and salt. You can find it at Asian markets or in the "international" aisle of some supermarkets.
3. Kecap manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce, typically made by combining soy sauce with palm sugar. We recommend Cap Bango kecap manis, but you may also find ABC and Conimex brands available online or in Asian markets.
4. For best results, use rice that has been refrigerated for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. If using freshly cooked rice, spread rice on a tray and allow to cool for 5 minutes before using.