Home

Nasi Goreng

17/11/2023

Nasi Goreng is a traditional Indonesian and Malaysian dish that literally means “fried rice.” It’s one of those dishes that readily welcomes customization depending on the ingredients you have at hand. Here’s a basic recipe that you can then modify according to your tastes:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cooked and cooled rice (preferably from the previous day)
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 red chili (optional), finely chopped
  • 200 g of chicken breast or shrimp, cut into pieces (optional)
  • 1 carrot, cut into thin sticks
  • 100 g of cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 small eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

  1. In a large pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chili. Fry until sweet and fragrant.
  2. Add the chicken or shrimp and cook until done.
  3. Add the carrot and cabbage. Cook for a few minutes until they soften slightly.
  4. Push the ingredients to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs, letting them cook like an omelette before breaking them up and mixing with the other ingredients.
  5. Add the rice, soy sauce, and kecap manis. If you’re using it, also add the shrimp paste. Mix all the ingredients well, making sure the rice is evenly colored by the sauce.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, cook for a couple more minutes.
  7. Serve hot.

You might want to add other ingredients like stir-fried tofu, peas, pineapple chunks, or nuts to further enrich the dish.

Did you know?

Nasi Goreng can be considered the national dish of Indonesia and is often served with slices of cucumber and tomato for freshness, accompanied by krupuk, which are crispy Indonesian chips, and sometimes with fried eggs or pickles.

To give an Italian twist to the dish, you might use, instead of soy sauce and kecap manis, a mix of tomato sauce and a bit of reduced balsamic vinegar, to emulate the sweetness and umami of the original sauces, and perhaps finish the dish with a nice handful of grated Parmesan cheese.

Nasi Goreng