We love rice in my family, and there’s always left-over rice in my fridge. One of the ways that we use up these left-overs is via this easy nasi goreng recipe, which I'm sharing today. This delicious and spicy dish is not only a different way to eat rice, but also a good way to prevent food waste.
Jump to RecipeWhat Is Nasi Goreng?
Nasi goreng is one of the national dishes of Indonesia. President Obama was served the dish when he visited the country, that must mean something, right? It is essentially fried rice, typically cooked with kepas manis, chilli and shrimp paste; then topped with fried eggs. Indonesians usually eat rice with most meals and nasi goreng is often eaten as breakfast to use up left-over rice from the night before.
One of the main contributors to the flavour profile of this dish is kecap manis. As with most dishes, nasi goreng is prepared differently depending on what part of Indonesia or even which household you visit (not that I’ve ever been there, but it is on my bucket list of places to go). Additions include meat, seafood, fish and different vegetables. For my easy nasi goreng recipe, I used left-over rice and green beans, which I had a lot of when I was making this dish.
What Is Kecap Manis?
Most nasi goreng recipes call for kecap manis. Kecap manis, also called sweet soy sauce is a sweetened condiment, which originated from Indonesia. It is available in most supermarkets in the UK; and you can find it on the same aisle as soy sauce. It has an intense molass like aroma; it is sweeter and has a thicker consistency than regular soy sauce, with the sweet flavour primarily from the addition of palm sugar. This sauce is very versatile, it is also great on noodles stir-fry and salads.
Useful Tips
It is important to cook and chill the rice in the refrigerator, at least for a few hours before preparing the stir-fry. A day before, is even better to allow the rice to dry out and cool, so the grains remain separated. The recipe works best with a wok for even heat distribution, but you can also use a non-stick frying pan
Nasi Goreng Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 medium Onion Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
- thumb sized Ginger
- ½ teaspoons Chilli flakes
- 1 Red chilli pepper
- 30 g Green beans Thinly sliced
- 200 g Rice Cooked
- 1 tablespoons Cekap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- Salt To taste
- 3 stalks Spring onions
- 2 Eggs Fried
Instructions
- 1. Fry the eggs an set aside.2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan under low heat.3. Cook the onions until they are translucent.4. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger; and stir continuously for one minute.5. Pour in the green beans and red peppers and continue to stir for two minutes.6. Add the rice into the pot while still stirring, and allow to heat through.7. Pour in the cekap manis and continue to stir.8. Taste and add some salt if required.9. Mix in the spring onions and remove from heat.10. Garnish with coriander and serve with the fried eggs.
SOOOO delicious. I used to buy this at a Malaysian restaurant but since Covid-19 I haven't been comfortable going as it is not a take-out place. Such a nice home-made version. Very flavourful and I love the peppers!
Thanks for the feedback Trish. I'm glad you liked this recipe.