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Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

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Nasi goreng/fried rice is a popular dish in Southeast Asia. This recipe is an Indonesian version of fried rice served with fried egg. | rasamalaysia.com

Nasi goreng/fried rice is a popular dish in Southeast Asia. This recipe is an Indonesian version of fried rice served with fried egg. | rasamalaysia.com

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.

Nasi goreng/fried rice is a popular dish in Southeast Asia. This recipe is an Indonesian version of fried rice served with fried egg. | rasamalaysia.com

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.

Nasi goreng/fried rice is a popular dish in Southeast Asia. This recipe is an Indonesian version of fried rice served with fried egg. | rasamalaysia.com

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.

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Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) Recipe

Nasi goreng/fried rice is a popular dish in Southeast Asia. This recipe is an Indonesian version of fried rice served with fried egg.

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

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Recipe Notes

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!

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74 COMMENTS... read them below or add one

  7. 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.

    Reply

  8. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  12. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  16. 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!

    Reply

  17. 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.

    Reply

  20. 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.

    Reply

  24. Just one question: what do you mean by toasting the belacan? Isn’t belacan already dry when you buy it from the shops? And when you break it off, it is already granulated. Or does it still require extra toasting?

    Thanks lots! This recipe was good =) The one i did today was a little bit bland though coz I was cooking for A LOT of people and I misjudged the amount required for the flavouring paste.

    Reply

      • I can purchase terasi from 99 Ranch Market here in So Cal, but question is, how to contain the smell when you toast it inside the house? I’m an Indonesian, but my husband is a haole and I don’t think he appreciates the smell. I love terasi, though. Help!!

        Reply

  25. I am so glad I found this recipe. I used to live in Indonesia and haven’t had Nasi Goreng in about 10 years. I will definitely be making this recipe. I am so glad you put the egg on top and used traditional ingredients. Can’t wait to eat it!!

    Reply

  26. Hi. This looks like a great recipe. The only thing is that I’m vegetarian (and I don’t eat seafood). What can I use instead of shrimp paste? Or can I just leave it out?

    Reply

    • Hi, there’s a vegetarian version of shrimp paste which is called vegetarian barbecue sauce, made in Taiwan, available in vegetarian grocery stores and Taiwanese stores. I use it as a substitute for shrimp paste because I don’t really like it, too strong for me. Also, there’s vegetarian fish sauce that you can buy at Taiwanese grocery stores. The vegetarian barbecue sauce is excellent as a dip for steamed veggies like okra, greens and fried veggies like eggplant. Hope this helps

      Reply

  27. thank you for the recipe! my husband and i just came back from our honeymoon in bali, and we fell in love with indonesian food. i can’t wait to make this!

    Reply

  29. Many of your recipes call for red chili’s. What kind of chili are you referring to? The Asian market near me only carries Thai, serrano, and jalapeno chilis. None of them are red, but I’ve been using either Thai or serrano chilis as substitutes. Thanks!

    Reply

  33. How happy Iam, I live in semarang (capital city of Central java), every evening….there is a nasi goreng jowo (javanese fried rice) seller….hehehehehehehe

    Reply

  35. Thank you for recipe. My hubby & children have Javanese heritage so always trying to find delicious Indo food in Australia & perfect if we can make ourselves.
    Could you please confirm if 8oz of rice = 1 cup? We had to much rice but we could tell recipe would be amazing with correct portions. Also, which oil do you suggest? I used olive but thought maybe sesame or peanut might be used as in many asain dishes
    Thanks again, we will try your order recipes now I’ve stumbled across your site

    Reply

  37. Please Help me; I have no idea what the following are

    Palm Sugar
    Toasted Belacan
    Kecap Manis

    Where can I purchase these items?
    Thank you.

    Reply

    • You should be able to find them easily in an asian grocery. If not you can order them on Amazon but then you would have to pay for shipping. It can be a bit intimidating going in not really knowing what you’re doing, but I’ve found people who work in the shops are quite helpful
      Palm sugar can pretty easily be substituted with brown sugar, but kecap manis (a thick sweet soy sauce as mentioned in earlier comments) and belacan (dried shrimp paste) are not easily substituted for

      Reply

  38. I used your recipe complete with the fried egg but also added a fried banana, absolutely delicious, reminded me of my time in Indonesia and Bali.
    Thank you.

    Reply

  40. I have a shrimp allergy.. trying to figure out what could sub for the belcan? or will it not matter that much?

    Reply

  41. I don’t think that people in Indonesia used to use Belacan as one of their recipe part to make fried rice. Usually, they only need rice, Kecap, egg, onion, and some other seasoning. However, your post is inspired me to make Nasi goreng with belacan

    Reply

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