Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
Indonesia is a food lover's paradise and undoubtedly one of the world’s top destinations for street food if you want to give your tastebuds a real treat. When it comes to Indonesian cuisine, Nasi Goreng has to be the most popular dish that everyone thinks of in the first place.
This stir fried rice is an iconic street food of the country and has made its way into kitchens and restaurants across the world.
WHAT IS NASI GORENG?
Nasi Goreng translates to "Fried Rice" in Indonesian and Malay-and that’s exactly what it is! It is rice that is fried along with veggies and some sort of protein. It has been called the national dish of Indonesia with every eatery, no matter how large or small, serving a version of its own.
What distinguishes it from other fried rice dishes is the umami flavor, from the Kecap Manis – a sweet soy sauce that caramelizes and gives the rice its distinctive dark brown color.
Kecap Minis is normally available in large supermarkets and of course in Asian grocery stores. However, if you can’t find it at your supermarket, don’t worry! You can easily make it at home.
Just combine 1/4 cup ordinary soy sauce and 1/4 cup brown sugar and heat over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce until it has a maple syrup consistency. It will thicken more when it cools.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Incredibly Easy To Make: Once everything is prepped and chopped, it’s just a matter of tossing everything into the pan.
- Great Way to Use Leftover Rice: It’s the perfect way to use up any leftover rice while making sure that the family is well fed with an incredibly exciting meal – even on weeknights!
- Packed with Flavors: The ingenious balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy makes every bite so incredible, you won’t be able to get enough of!
HOW TO SERVE THIS NASI GORENG
No matter how simple this Nasi Goreng looks, it is always served with an assortment of sides that are just as important as the dish itself. Serve the fried rice with a fried egg on top along with some sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions and chillis for an authentic version.
If you are craving for more such recipes this Summer, you can give these recipes a try, too:
- Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs with Turmeric Rice
- Thai Chicken Satay skewers with Peanut Sauce
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- Classic Cheeseburger
- BBQ Pulled Chicken Burger
- Make it Vegan: Substitute the egg for a plant-based protein such as fried tofu or tempeh.
- Add more Veggies : Nasi Goreng is normally served for breakfast. If you want to serve this meal as a quick lunch or dinner, you can add more veggies such as red pepper, green beans, carrots, mushrooms for a perfectly balanced and utterly satisfying meal.
A key element of any fried rice is the texture. Freshly-cooked rice becomes sticky and mushy when stir fried in sauce. When making Nasi Goreng, it is important to use day-old cooked rice. Cold rice has a firmer texture, so it can be stir-fried in the sauce, resulting in caramelisation that gives the dish its signature colour and flavor.
If you are using freshly cooked rice, spread the rice into a thin layer on a baking tray and refrigerate for as long as you can before starting to cook the Nasi Goreng.
If you made this Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice), I would love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Ingredients:
-
For the Fried Rice
- 200g chicken breast,diced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 50 g frozen peas
- 3 cups cooked white rice , cold, day old
- 2 Tbsp Kecap Manis ( or dark soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- Ground White pepper, to taste
- Fried eggs
- Tomato wedges
- Cucumber slices
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Sides for Serving
Instructions:
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
- Add the chopped garlic and the chilli, stir for few seconds.
- Then, add the onion and cook until it becomes soft for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add 1 Tbsp kecap manis and cook until the chicken pieces are cooked through and a bit caramelised.
- Add the cooked rice and then add 1 Tbsp of Kecap Manis, the light soy sauce and stir constantly, for 3-4 minutes until everything is mixed and the rice grains start to caramelise. Turn off the heat and add the chopped green onions. Season with white pepper.
- Serve the rice with a fried egg on top, along with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions and sesame seeds.
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