Nasi Goreng
Indonesian fried rice with sweet soy sauce, shrimp paste, and a fried egg.
MeatVegetarian-optional
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy, Shellfish, Egg. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Nasi goreng varies by region — Nasi Goreng Jawa uses more kecap manis for a sweeter, darker dish, while Nasi Goreng Kampung stays drier and spicier with minimal sweet soy, closer to how it's cooked in village kitchens outside Java.
Ingredients
- 3 cups day-old cooked rice, cold and separated
- 150g chicken thigh or shrimp, diced
- 2 eggs
- 4 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-4 red chilies, to taste
- 1 tsp terasi (shrimp paste), toasted
- 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 1 tsp kecap asin (light soy sauce) or salt, to taste
- Pinch of white pepper
- 2 tbsp oil
- Sliced cucumber and tomato, fried shallots, and krupuk (shrimp crackers), to serve
Steps
- Toast the terasi — wrap in foil and dry-fry or hold briefly over a flame — until fragrant and crumbly. Raw terasi is harsh and fishy; toasting is essential.
- Blend or pound shallots, garlic, and chilies into a rough paste, then work in the toasted terasi.
- Heat oil, fry the paste until fragrant and no longer raw-smelling, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add chicken or shrimp, cook through.
- Add rice, breaking up clumps; press and stir-fry over high heat until it takes on char in spots.
- Season with kecap asin or salt and white pepper, toss, then add kecap manis for the final 30-60 seconds only — it burns quickly, so it always goes in last.
- Fry eggs separately, sunny-side up. Serve rice topped with egg, cucumber, tomato, fried shallots, and krupuk on the side.