Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

If you have ever been to Indonesia, you must be familiar with Nasi Goreng. A really tasty fried rice dish. In Indonesia, nasi goreng is commonly enjoyed as a breakfast dish, frequently accompanied by a sunny side up egg, prawn crackers, and slices of fresh tomato 🍅 and cucumber 🥒. Of course, I could definitely eat nasi goreng for breakfast with a sunny side up egg on top as well! However, with the passage of time, it has also evolved into a favored choice for dinner as well.

This recipe can be enjoyed as a standalone meal. You will be amazed how easy this is to make. Got any left-over rice? Then this Nasi Goreng recipe gets even easier! 🍚

What is Nasi Goreng?
Nasi Goreng means "fried rice", and that's exactly what it is! Basically the rice gets flavoured by the spices and brown coloured by the Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce). It's an easy to make, and you can make it vegan if you like by removing the shrimp paste. That's optional. But the shrimp paste will add that umami flavour which I really like.. but it's still amazing, also without the shrimp paste.

What do you eat with Nasi Goreng?
You can also accompany Nasi Goreng with other Indonesian side-dishes such as Sambal Goreng Tempeh (vegan option) or Beef Rendang, or an Indonesian salad like Gado Gado.

Now let's cook this nasi goreng recipe!

Step 1
Cook your rice a minute shorter than what the packaging states. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a tray to cool slightly. If you are using leftover rice - that's even better - break up any clumps.

Step 2
Cut the leek in half and slice into rings of 1 cm. Dice the carrot, and cut the pointed cabbage and onion. If you use other vegetables, or left-over vegetables, cut them in bite-sized pieces as well. You can basically use any vegetable you like.

Step 3
Gather the spices: turmeric, ginger, cilantro, cumin, garlic. Chop the shrimp paste, this is optionally. And grab your sambal.

Step 4
Heat a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and sauté the onion until fragrant and translucent.

Step 5
Turn your wok down to low heat. Add the spices, the shrimp paste and the sambal to the wok. If using sambal, adjust the amount according to your desired level of spiciness. Wok for 3 minutes.

Step 6
Add the vegetables to the wok. Heat your wok over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened.

Step 7
Add 1/3 of the cooked rice to the wok. And then add the kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce). Use a spatula to break up any clumps and mix the rice with the vegetables and spices.

Step 8
Add the other 2/3 of the cooked rice and the chopped celery leaves. Continue stir-frying the rice for about 5 more minutes until all the rice has turned brown and yellowish. Optionally you can now make a sunny side up egg in another pan. I really like a sunny side up egg as a condiment to this nasi goreng recipe. 🍳

Step 9
Remove your nasi goreng from heat and serve on the plate with condiments such as: prawn crackers, store-bought atjar tjampoer (mixed pickled vegetables), sambal (Indonesian chili sauce), and your sunny side up egg.

Selamat makan! (Enjoy your meal)