Nasi goreng or Indonesian fried rice is one of the most requested recipes on Rasa Malaysia. I have received many emails from readers requesting for a nasi goreng recipe. For those who are anxiously awaiting a nasi goreng post, wait no more as I have gotten just the perfect nasi goreng recipe for you.
Adapted from James Oseland’s Cradle of Flavor coobook—a bible for authentic Indonesian and Malaysian/Singapore cuisines—this nasi goreng is the Javanese version of fried rice. As Jim indicated in his cookbook, a truly authentic nasi goreng Indonesia is plain and simple, consisting of leftover rice stir-fried with a flavoring paste. Ingredients such as shrimp, meat, and vegetables are rarely, if ever, added to it… (get nasi goreng recipe after the jump)
While nasi goreng is available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the Indonesian version is my favorite. Topped with a fried egg (a distinctive note of Indonesian’s version), nasi goreng is a meal that is both hearty and gratifying. Making nasi goreng also reminded me of my fond memories while traveling in Indonesia—a country with vibrant and colorful culinary traditions which I intend to explore more in the near future.
Ingredients:
1 shallot
1 garlic
1 red chili (seeded)
1/2 teaspoon toasted belacan (terasi)
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
1/2 tablespoon kecap manis
8 oz. overnight rice
1 fried egg (well done)
2 tablespoons oil
Method:
Break the overnight/leftover rice using the back of a spoon so they don’t clump together. In a wok, toast the belacan on low heat until it becomes dry and aromatic. Toasted belacan should be somewhat powdery and appear like tiny granules. Fry an egg (well-done) and set aside.
Using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor, blend the shallot, garlic, red chili, and toasted belacan. Transfer the blended flavoring paste into a small saucer.
Heat up a wok and add oil. Add the flavoring paste and stir-fry until aromatic or when the oil separates. Add the rice into the wok and stir well with the flavoring paste. Add kecap manis and palm sugar into the rice and continue to stir-fry and make sure that they are well blended with the rice. Dish out, top the nasi goreng with the fried egg and serve immediately.
Cook’s Note:
In Indonesia, nasi goreng is often served with various sides such fried prawn crackers, fresh vegetables such as lettuce, sliced cucumber, and sliced tomatoes. However, you can just make it plain like what I did. I also love sliced red chili dipped in kecap manis as a condiment. It’s great with the fried egg!
Related Posts:
- Mee Goreng Recipe (Spicy Fried Noodles)
- Indonesian Sate (Sate Babi and Sate Ayam Bumbu Kecap/Kacang)
- Sambal Telur Recipe (Egg Sambal)
- Gado-Gado Recipe
- Mee Siam (Spicy Rice Vermicelli) Recipe
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Your recipe reminds me my holiday in Bali last year! I had a cooking lesson and learned to make nasi goreng… I’ve posted my recipe on my blog: http://devousamoi-dominique.blogspot.com/2009/05/nasi-goreng.html
thank you for yours… I’ll try with a fried egg.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Dominique – yes, this nasi goreng reminds me of Bali, too. I want to move there and eat nasi goreng every morning!!!
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Hello…
Have nominated you for the kreativ blogger award….
Love trying out recipes from your blog……
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Smitha – awww, you are so sweet and thanks for nominating me. :)
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I love fried rice and your version in this post looks wonderful. I love the addition of the fried egg on top- that makes everything better :) Beautiful photos as well!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Yes, fried egg on top on nasi goreng is the best. Don’t really like the mixed eggs version.
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I love nasi goreng, and this version is very different than the one I make, so I’m looking forward to trying it. Love the fried egg on top!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Lydia – I like this recipe, it’s really simple but tasty. :)
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I like acar (achar) on the side and in South Sulawesi it always comes with a slice of lime!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
A slice of lime, that’s interesting. I have to travel to Indonesia again and explore all the spice islands like James Oseland did.
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I’m an Indo who hasn’t been back home for a long time… This sure makes me miss home. Good stuff!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Harimau – wow, I love your name. LOL. I will try to make more Indonesian food now, I wanted to learn about it. Come back and check out more. :)
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Bee,
Yes, this is a very homey fried rice. I used to have this for breakfast. Sometimes we scrambled the eggs. However, fried egg is my preferred topping.
Thank you for your kind words for the victims of earthquake in Indonesia as well as the typhoon in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Tuty – yes, fried eggs on nasi goreng totally rocks. Love it with kecap manis.
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hello, what are kecap manis and belacan? where can i get them and if not available any suggestions for substitutions? would love to try this as we have leftover rice in rice cooker daily. cultural hazard of being asian :D
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Kecap Manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce. Belacan is shrimp paste. You can get them in Asian stores or Southeast Asian stores.
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Your rice looks fantastic! I just added Cradle of Flavor to my wish list the other day. Can’t wait to get it some day soon.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Lisa – Cradle of Flavor is a great cookbook and it’s fun to read. James writes so well and the knowledge he has about the regional cuisines are simply amazing. He knows everything in every single details, things that I take for granted because I was born there but he knows the history, the ingredients, the authentic cooking methods and recipes. He is brilliant.
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i like oseland’s book. i’ve made some recipes from it and written about them on my blog too. great photo at the top of this post, by the way…
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Fried rice with egg–a simple pleasure! Can’t wait to try this recipe with an over-easy egg.
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I’m so happy I found rasamalaysia.com!!! I LOVE your recipes.
Do you know how to make salted (duck) eggs? Can you use chicken eggs?
I would prefer a salted egg (duck or chicken) with my Nasi Lemak.
Thank you!
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Beautiful photo’s again. I really love this dish as I’m not a big fan of runny egg but feel this is one of the few dishes that works better without the yolk runny. I had this a lot in Malaysia too so brings back fond memories!!!
Thanks
Andy – http://onceuponathyme.wordpress.com/
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Hi!
This looks so good and simple!! I only have one very poorly stocked asian market where I live.
Can I substitute Fish Sauce for the belacan??
Thanks! Love your blog….
D
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alex cone replied:
Yeah you can use the fish sauce but go easy with it but this makes it more of a thai dish. to replace the belecan you can use any dried fish or shrimp paste or some times if i have run out i will use crushed or blended dried anchovies( ikan bilis ) far an authentic Kampong (village ) nasi goreng.
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Fried rice and egg is a favorite in my house.
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The picture is plain gorgeous and makes me drool. I traveled through Malaysia last year, now I want back, desperately :-)
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When I lived in Asia, I ate nasi goreng at least once a week. I love it but haven’t been able to find a place that makes it well where we live now. I’m so happy that you shared the recipe, now I’ll just make it at home!
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Hi there,
First of all I really enjoy your blog, I recently made a version of your soto soup and it tasted great, but then I screwed it up by leaving in a lime overnight and the whole thing just tasted bitter, I even served it to guests as it was delicious the day before and because I was fasting I didn’t tasted it before serving, anyway I was really bummed but I’m ok now hahah. (sorry bout that)
I’m from Holland and we looove Indonesian food, on top of that my moms adoptive parents were indonesian so I basically grew up with it. In Holland they put a lot of things in their fried rice and call it nasi goreng, but without all the add ins it makes for a better side dish, I think. Definitely trying this version soon.
Sam.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Sam – thanks for your sweet note. Nasi goreng is simply awesome!
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Bee,
Surely, this one was my breakfast when I still lived at my parents’ house. Once, I moved to Bogor, nasi goreng became my supper where I could get at every corner of street food vendors.
My family style was omitting the kecap manis and using sambal terasi leftover.
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I love nasi goreng. I love it with the shrimp chip and a side of satay. Yum!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Shrimp chips and satay sounds great with nasi goreng.
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yum yum..this reminds me of Bali too! Simple and tasty!
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Hi Rasa,
You are one of my favourite sites and this recipe brings back so many memories of my mother cooking this for me… Thanks so much, I can’t wait to make it for my kid!
I’ve added you to my favourites list on my blog…
Shal
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Can any one help me please. I used to eat a malay halal version of nasi goreng. It was red in colour and with more chilli. is the redness just tomato paste or a colouring or spice. cant seem to find a recipe so if any nice malay people would help me i would be grateful. oh and im also looking for a sarawak style assam laksa recipe. tarima kasi.
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