Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-style Fried Rice)
So aromatic and full of flavor is this Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)! Easy and delicious side dish for sure!
Oh, Fried Rice – whatever the style of cooking, seasoning or its origin, I totally love it! I think it is one of the most versatile side dishes and when some meat and vegetables are added, it can be a one-pot meal on its own right.
Moreover, it is such a big money-saver as you don’t waste left-over rice by throwing it away, you can use it and make a delicious dish out of it.
We first had a taste of this delicious fried rice in Bali when we stayed there briefly for the first leg of our honeymoon tour back in December 2o03. I knew then I had to re-create this for me and hubby as we both love fried rice and we always like to try something different, too.
Without much ado, here’s our version of this truly popular fried recipe from Indonesia – Nasi Goreng. I added some left-over Chicken Adobo but you can also use shrimp or pork, if you wish.
And to make it a perfect meal, don’t forget to have it with some fried eggs. Great for breakfast or dinner! Enjoy!
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Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-style Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked Basmati Rice or 6 cups left-over chilled rice
- 1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 inch fresh Ginger root, peeled and grated
- 1-2 red Chili pepper (like Bird’s Eye Chili), seeds removed and thinly sliced (adjust heat to your preference)
- 1 bunch Green Onions (scallions) (about 6-8), thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked Chicken, shredded or sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons Kecap Manis ((or Soy sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon Honey)
- Handful fresh Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- If you are using left-over rice, skip this paragraph and proceed to the cooking instruction portion. If you are starting from scratch and using uncooked rice, rinse the rice and drain well. Place in a saucepan or you can use the rice cooker. Stir in the turmeric and salt. Add about 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and quite dry. Remove from the heat and let the rice cool completely. Once it has cooled down, refrigerate until ready to use. If using the rice immediately, transfer the cooked rice (after letting it sit for 12 minutes after cooking) to a flat baking tray. Allow to cool completely and fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Heat half of the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for a few seconds until aromatic. Lower the heat and add the ginger, chillies and half the green onions. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the remaining oil and add the shredded chicken. Cook until chicken is heated through.
- Add the fluffed rice in batches, stirring each batch carefully to mix well with the rest of the ingredients. Add the kecap manis or soy sauce. Stir to distribute the sauce evenly. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with chopped cilantro and the remaining green onions. This is traditionally served with some fried eggs. Enjoy!
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Last updated on November 1st, 2023 at 08:57 pm
Gaaahhhh!!! I'm so excited to see Nasi Goreng on your blog! I used to (waaay back in the day) buy a packet of liquid sauce from Cost Plus World Market and make this for my husband and I when we were newlyweds. It was discontinued years ago and I've missed it. This looks so DANG good – I cannot wait to try it! Thank you x 1,000,000!!
Chef Nan
Oh, please enjoy Nan. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do. Thanks for stopping by.
NASI GORENG!! Our national food (in the Netherlands).
Only thing I miss in this recipe is TRASSI, a fermented shrimp paste, which gives Nasi Goreng it's typical flavor. It is sold in the Netherlands as a block of paste, to be crumbled in with the fried garlic etc (we first crush onion, garlic, sambal (red pepper paste) and trassi with a pestle before frying). Personally I prefer it in powdered form, much easier to use.
Trassi stinks to high heaven before it is fried, but don't worry, the taste in the finished product is much more subtle.
I apreciate your use of Basmati Rice as it has a great flavor, but I have only heard of Long Grain White Rice being used in Nasi Goreng, buy hey, I'm no expert, after all, we Dutch only adopted Nasi from our Indonesian fellow countrymen.
I have to look for that but perhaps I can use a Filipino shrimp paste – it's probably very similar. Thanks for the tip!
Anything with kecap manis is a huge hit around here. LOVE that stuff. This looks awesome!
I've only made Chinese-style fried rice but since I love the concept, this looks like a great weeknight dinner. And from my experience with the Chinese version, I know it's quick if you have made the rice the night before.
this sounds incredibly flavorful, and is so bright! thank you for this, we love fried rice and I know we will love this one!
This looks great! I love how every culture has such a unique take on rice. Thanks for sharing!
This looks so wonderful!! That egg on top is perfect!
This looks amazing, Abby! I love rice and ginger so this the perfect combination! Beautiful pictures as always.
I'm so glad you're sharing this recipe- I'm sending it to my sister who keeps the AYAM packaged brand in business with her consumption of instant nasi goreng!
Hum. Used dark soy sauce today but will switch to light next time. Cos there will be a next time… 🙂
Nasi has become a staple food in Holland and is the simplest meal to prepare.
If you have a Dutch grocery store in your town or city they will have the original spice bag that contains everything required for the meal except the rice and meat.
Here we have the brand CONIMEX and you could not get a simpler meal
We alway use Nasi as a way to use up some left over meat or rice. So take the spice bag and
Stir the contents in 100ml boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes until the contents of the spice bag are fully reconstituted, mix that with your rice and left over meat and voila a wonderful meal.
My family likes it is I add some sweetened coconut flakes and some raisins. That’s it
Serve this with a fried egg on top and enjoy.
A wonderful meal for a weeknight when you run out of time and need something good but quick.
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope they will like it.