Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Rice

- Serves 4

In Indonesia, Nasi Goreng may be an every day breakfast staple made using leftover rice, yet one of the most popular dishes in the country. This delicious sweet and spicy fried rice dish owes its distinctive color and flavor to the secret ingredient Kecap Manis or sweet soy sauce. Another very important ingredient is dried shrimp that adds extra umami to the dish, which I often replace with dried shrimp paste or belacan. The rest of the recipe is similar to good-old fried rice and simply requires day-old rice and the use of a good cast iron wok if you’ve got one. Serve it with a topping of freshly fried egg with runny yolk, crunchy cucumbers, charred chicken satay and my homemade peanut sauce.

Ingredients for Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Rice

6 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly sliced
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (belacan - available in the dried foods section at supermarkets)
1-2 red bird’s eye chillies
3 eggs, lightly beaten
300gm sliced chicken thighs/breast or 20 small-medium prawns shelled and deveined
3-4 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil, plus more for frying eggs
2 cups raw long grain rice (I used Thai Jasmine rice), cooked and cooled
1 carrot, thinly julienned
2 chinese celery, stalks and leaves chopped separately
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce, available at supermarkets)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 spring onion, chopped
4 eggs, for frying
sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, for garnish

Recipe

Grind shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and chili to a fine paste (add 1-2 tablespoons of water to make grinding easier).
Heat vegetable oil in a wok, stir fry chicken/shrimp for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Set aside.
Next stir-fry spice paste in the same wok on medium flame for 2 minutes, until brownish and fragrant.
Push spices onto one side of the wok and pour beaten egg into the wok. Quickly scramble the eggs for a minute. Mix eggs with spices, break them into smaller pieces.
Add carrots, celery stalks and chicken/shrimp and mix well for another minute.
Add cooked rice, kecap manis, soy sauce, and pepper. Stir-fry everything quickly over high heat, for 4-5 minutes. Add spring onion and celery leaves. Mix well.
Serve warm with condiments such as sliced tomatoes/cucumber, fried eggs, and crackers. Nasi Goreng is also great served with chicken satay and peanut sauce.