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.
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.
Put the rice in a pan with 400ml boiling water. Stir once, bring to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat right down. Cook for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and leave on a damp tea towel or cloth for five minutes with the lid off. Fork through to fluff up, then spread on a baking tray and refrigerate, overnight if possible.
Put all the ingredients for the paste in a small blender or mortar and whizz or pound until fairly smooth.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add your egg and cook sunny side up. If you prefer, this can be cooked basted, over easy/medium or scrambled.
Add the rice by hand, breaking up any clumps as you go, and fry until heated through, then stir in the kecap manis, soy sauce, spring onion, and chili.
Spoon the nasi goreng onto warmed plates. Overlap the cucumber and tomato on the side of each plate.
Servings 5
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
1. Kecap Manis (sometimes called Ketjap Manis) is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce that is thicker than other soy sauces. Sometimes just labelled as "sweet soy sauce".
Also easy to make your own! Just combine 1/4 cup ordinary soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) and 1/4 cup brown sugar over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce until it becomes a maple syrup consistency. It will thicken more when it cools.
2. Chilli - I use 2 birds eye or Thai red chillies, adds a mild warmth, doesn't make it spicy. Adjust to taste. Chilli paste can also be used instead - add it when you add the rice.
3. Storage - as with all fried rice, it keeps great for a day or two in the fridge then I find it gets a bit dry. Salvage it with a sprinkle of water then microwave it - makes it all steamy and moist again! Do the same if you freeze it.
4. Nutrition per serving including egg.