Region: Southeast Asia
Country: Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, The Netherlands, Suriname

Nasi goreng

Indonesian styled fried rice

Fry your rice!

Today we’re crafting the iconing nasi goreng, which simply translates into fried rice! Nasi goreng is a Southeast Asian dish that comes in many different forms. Every village, or rather every household boasts its own signature spin to this dish.

Nasi goreng was proclaimed in 2018 by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism as one of the five national culinary treasures of Indonesia. Neighboring countries however, have their own versions. In Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore, fried rice dishes are known under the same (Indonesian/Malaysian) name.

It is a simple dish, that needs to be ready in no time. There is no strict recipe, just a couple of must have ingredients. It is easy to adapt to your guests’ preferences. It can be sweet, it can be spicy, it can be both. It can be with shrimps, with chicken, with egg, and so on.

Kecap and terasi

The soul of Indonesian fried rice is formed by the sweet, syrupy lifeblood of Indonesian cuisine – kecap manis. This sweetened soy sauce is the key to that signature sweetness of many Indonesian dishes. Kecap manis is an essential ingredient that no Indonesian kitchen would be without. I am aware that it is not easily found outside of Southeast Asia (kicap manis in Malaysian), the Netherlands and Suriname (ketjap manis in Dutch). But there is no need to be sad! It is easily made or replaced by mixing soy sauce, (palm) sugar, and a few arromatic spices. Find the recipe here!

Then there is terasi (dry paste of crushed and fermented shrimps), another important flavoring agent. Terasi (in Javanese and Dutch: trassi) is a pungent shrimp paste that is elusive beyond the archipelago and a few other places. Unlike kecap manis, terasi stands alone and is irreplaceable in its uniqueness. Although it does have its equivalents in Thai, Filipino, and Chinese cuisines, the easiest way is to use bit of fish sauce instead. It doesn’t fully cover for it, but it is the closest you can get.

*Nasi* and *mie goreng* with *sate ayam* and *kerupuk* in a traditional warung in Indonesia.

A favorite amongst many!

Did you know that Soekarno, Indonesia’s inaugural president, was a true aficionado when it comes to Indonesian fried rice. His praises for his wife’s nasi goreng echoed in the halls of New York during a visit in 1964.

And Soekarno wasn’t the first in power who adored his fried rice. The Dutch before him were crazy about it as well! Nasi goreng (in Dutch often just nasi) had conquered the taste buds of the Dutch colonists. Luckily for the Dutch, the Indo/Dutch community that traveled with them back to the Netherlands after the Indonesian independence, brought along their culinary traditions.

The dish is so beloved that it is celebrated in the song “Geef mij maar Nasi Goreng” by singer Wieteke van Dort, who had a late-night program in the Netherlands aimed at Indo-Dutch people who were nostalgic about their homeland.

While in the Netherlands nasi resembles mostly the Javanese take on nasi goreng, a few typical Indo/Dutch features can be found as well. Fusion took place in the colonial communities in the East Indies, often resulting in interesting and tasteful dishes. The use of bacon, ham, and butter in nasi goreng for example was introduced by the Dutch and Chinese. While pork is left out by most Indonesians, there are some varieties of nasi goreng made with butter, which gives the dish a creamy flavor sensation. Another country where nasi goreng is a big hit is Suriname, which has a large Javanese population.

So there you have it – a dish that is as simple as it is complex, but always extremely satisfying.

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Tips and tricks …

Always use “leftover rice”, prepared and refrigerated least 12 hours before. Dried out rice contributes to the desired texture. Using fresh rice will result in a soggy dish with a completely different taste.

Leftover rice tends to clump. Try to break up these clumps before stir-frying. If you do that in the pan with a spatula the grains will break.

You can decide about the colour of your rice by dosing the kecap manis. (The more you use, the darker your rice will get.)

Nasi Goreng
(Indonesian style fried rice)

Recipe by Chef Franky Buz

0.0 from 0 votes

Difficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This recipe below is good for two people (150 gr. of rice per person). This recipe is prepared without shrimp paste (terasi/trassi), which is hard to find outside of Indonesia.

Ingredients

300 gr. white rice
boil rice at least 12 hours before frying (keep refrigerated)
1 shallot
3 garlic cloves
2 green onion or scallions
2 chili peppers
ground ginger
2 eggs (one per person/portion)
kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
kecap asin (soy sauce)
neutral vegetable oil (for instance, peanut oil)
sambal (optional)

Directions

Cook the rice a day in advance and store in the refrigerator.
Put a few drops of natural oil in a hot wok and add the eggs.
Stir the eggs thoroughly with a spatula until they are completely scrambled and fully cooked. Take the egg out of the wok and keep aside.
Clean the wok of the remaining egg residue and add again a splash of oil (or butter for a more creamy result).
Add the chopped shallots, scallions, garlic and red pepper to the hot oil and fry for two minutes. Add the powdered ginger and stir fry one more minute on medium high fire.
Add the boiled rice without clumps and stir for a minute and a half.
Add the kecap manis and stir until evenly spread over the rice. Add some sambal (spicy sauce) for that extra kick and add the eggs before the last good stir. The rice turns darker due to the sauce. Lower the fire and fry an egg sunny side up in a baking pan (optional).
Ensure that everything is well mixed. For a bit of saltiness add a little splash of soy sauce (kecap asin), this is optional.
Garnish with the green parts of the scallions, some sliced red pepper and fried onions (bawang goreng). Eat with fried egg, fresh or pickled vegetables (acar), and krupuk (prawn crackers).