Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice with Fried Egg)

Name: Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice with Fried Egg)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 4 medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) shallots, peeled and roughly chopped; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic, peeled; 3 chilies (40 g) red Fresno chilies or red finger chilies, stemmed and roughly chopped (seeded for less heat); 1 teaspoon (5 g) shrimp paste (terasi or belacan), crumbled; 6 cups (900 g) cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine), cold, day-old, clumps broken up by hand (from about 2 cups / 400 g dry rice); 5 tablespoons (70 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or peanut); 8 oz (225 g) medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 6 oz (170 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground white pepper; 4 stalks (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated; 4 eggs (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cucumber (150 g) English cucumber, sliced into half-moons; 1 medium (150 g) tomato, cut into wedges; 4 tablespoons (20 g) crispy fried shallots, store-bought (optional); fine salt, to taste, for seasoning the eggs and rice

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Smoky, sweet-savory Indonesian fried rice built on a fragrant paste of shallots, garlic, chili and toasted shrimp paste, glossed with kecap manis and topped with a crisp-edged fried egg.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Makes: 4 generous plates (about 6 cups / 1.1 kg fried rice total)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the spice paste
4 medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves (15 g) garlic, peeled
3 chilies (40 g) red Fresno chilies or red finger chilies, stemmed and roughly chopped (seeded for less heat)
1 teaspoon (5 g) shrimp paste (terasi or belacan), crumbled
For the fried rice
6 cups (900 g) cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine), cold, day-old, clumps broken up by hand (from about 2 cups / 400 g dry rice)
5 tablespoons (70 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or peanut)
8 oz (225 g) medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
6 oz (170 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
For the sauce
4 tablespoons (60 ml) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground white pepper
For the fried rice
4 stalks (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
To serve
4 eggs (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature
½ cucumber (150 g) English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
1 medium (150 g) tomato, cut into wedges
4 tablespoons (20 g) crispy fried shallots, store-bought (optional)
fine salt, to taste, for seasoning the eggs and rice

Equipment (5)

14-inch (35 cm) carbon steel wok or 12-inch (30 cm) large heavy skillet
Small food processor, mortar and pestle, or sharp knife for the paste
Wok spatula or wide wooden spoon
10-inch (25 cm) nonstick skillet for the eggs
Small bowl for the sauce

Steps

Before you start

Use cold, day-old rice (cooked and refrigerated at least 8 hours). Freshly cooked rice turns gummy. In a rush, spread fresh rice on a tray and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Have everything prepped and within reach before heating the wok; the stir-fry moves fast.
Shrimp paste (terasi/belacan) is very pungent when toasted. Turn on the exhaust fan and open a window.
Kecap manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce. It is thick and sweet, so do not swap in regular soy sauce at the same amount.

1
Prep the rice
- Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers until the grains are loose and separate.
- Combine the kecap manis, light soy sauce and white pepper in a small bowl and stir.
- Set the sliced scallion whites and greens on separate plates.
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Ready when: Rice grains fall apart freely when you pick them up.
Tip: Wet rice clumps will steam instead of fry, so take the time to separate them.
2
Make spice paste
- Combine the shallots, garlic, chilies and crumbled shrimp paste in a small food processor with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Pulse, scraping down the sides, until a coarse, spreadable paste forms.
- (Or pound in a mortar, or mince very finely by hand and mash with the flat of the knife.)
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Ready when: Paste is coarse and clingy with no large chunks of shallot.
Tip: Wash your hands well after handling chilies and avoid touching your eyes.
3
Prep vegetables and shrimp
- Slice the cucumber and cut the tomato into wedges for the side plate.
- Cut the shrimp and chicken into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces and pat both dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken and shrimp together with a pinch of salt.
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Tip: Dry protein browns; wet protein steams and turns pale.
4
Fry the paste
- Heat the wok over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add the spice paste and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until it darkens a shade, loses its raw sharp smell, and the oil begins to separate around the edges.
- Lower the heat if it starts to stick or scorch.
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Ready when: Paste is deep reddish-brown, fragrant, and oil visibly separates at the edges.
Tip: Burnt garlic and shallot turn bitter, so keep stirring and reduce heat if needed.
5
Cook chicken and shrimp
- Push the paste to one side, raise the heat to high, and add the chicken.
- Stir-fry for 3 minutes until no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the shrimp and the scallion whites and cook 2 minutes more, tossing, until the shrimp are pink and curled and the chicken is cooked through.
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Ready when: Shrimp are pink and opaque; chicken pieces are white throughout with no pink (165°F / 74°C).
Tip: Do not overcook the shrimp or they turn rubbery; they will warm through again with the rice.
6
Stir-fry the rice
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then the rice.
- Press and toss with the spatula for 3 to 4 minutes, folding the paste and meats through the rice, until the grains are hot, separate and bouncing in the wok.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot, evenly speckled with paste, and individual grains look dry.
Tip: If the rice sticks, drizzle in 1 teaspoon more oil along the wok edge rather than lowering the heat.
7
Add sauce
- Pour the sauce mixture around the edge of the rice so it hits the hot metal and sizzles.
- Toss for 2 minutes until the rice is evenly glossy and deep brown.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Fold in most of the scallion greens and remove from the heat.
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Ready when: No pale patches of rice remain; the rice is mahogany-brown and slightly sticky-glossy.
Tip: Kecap manis burns quickly because of its sugar; keep the rice moving.
8
Fry the eggs
- While the rice finishes, heat the remaining oil in the nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (use 1 tablespoon from your measured oil; if you've used it all, add 1 tablespoon more).
- Crack in the eggs and season with salt.
- Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set with crisp, lacy edges and the yolks are still runny.
- Baste with hot oil for 20 seconds if the whites around the yolk look wet.
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Ready when: Whites are fully opaque with golden crisp edges; yolks still jiggle.
Tip: Cook eggs in two batches if your skillet is crowded so they do not merge.
9
Plate and serve
- Mound the rice onto four plates.
- Top each with a fried egg, sprinkle with the remaining scallion greens and crispy fried shallots, and arrange cucumber and tomato alongside.
- Serve immediately while hot.
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Tip: Break the yolk over the rice at the table so it becomes a rich sauce.

Good to know

Tips

Cook in a very hot wok and do not crowd it; if your pan is smaller than 12 inches, fry the rice in two batches.
Day-old rice is the single most important factor: dry grains absorb the sauce and char slightly instead of clumping.
Adjust heat by seeding the chilies or adding more; Indonesian cooks often serve extra sambal at the table.
Traditional accompaniments include prawn crackers (krupuk) and pickled vegetables (acar) to cut the richness.

Make ahead

"The spice paste can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar with a thin film of oil on top. Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate uncovered for the first hour, then covered."

Storage & reheating

"Store the fried rice (without eggs) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months in flat portions. Reheat in a hot skillet with 1 tablespoon water or oil for 3 to 4 minutes until steaming throughout (165°F / 74°C). Fry fresh eggs at serving time. Do not leave rice at room temperature for more than 1 hour."

Substitutions

kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) → 3 tablespoons dark or regular soy sauce plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, simmered for 2 minutes until syrupy. Approximates the sweetness and thickness; taste and adjust.
shrimp paste (terasi or belacan) → 1 tablespoon fish sauce plus 1 teaspoon miso. Gives a similar savory depth, but less funk. Add with the sauce.
red Fresno chilies or red finger chilies → 1 to 2 tablespoons sambal oelek. Add to the paste in place of fresh chilies.
boneless skinless chicken thighs → extra shrimp or firm tofu cubes. For a pescatarian or vegetarian-leaning version, use pressed, pan-fried tofu and skip the shrimp paste only if vegetarian.