Nasi Goreng – Indonesian Fried Rice

I have been craving for Nasi Goreng ever since I tasted it from a Malaysian restaurant in Charlotte.

Nasi Goreng is supposed to be Indonesian or Malay Fried Rice. It is different from the more popular Chinese Fried Rice as it uses Shallots, Fish Sauce or Shrimp Paste, Sambal – chili sauce or powder, Sambal Kecap Manis – Indonesian Soy Sauce, garlic and so on.

There are hundreds of varieties of Nasi Goreng and it varies from region to region. I went through lot of recipes for Nasi Goreng and used a combination of many of those recipes. It was my first attempt in making Nasi Goreng and it tasted good.

The rice used to make nasi goreng is cooked ahead of time and left to cool down so that it is not soggy. Hence, it is better to use rice cooked on the previous day.

Ingredients

1. Cooked Long Grain Rice – 3 cups ( I used Basmati Rice cooked on the previous day and refrigerated)
2. Finely Sliced Shallots – 8 to 10
3. Chopped Garlic – 1 tsp
4. Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp
5. Finely Chopped Fresh or Dry Red Chillies -2
6. Shredded Cabbage – 1 cup
7. Carrots (chopped into thin long pieces) – 1 cup
8. Green Peas – 1/2 cup
9. Chopped Celery Stalks – 1/2 cup
10. Raw Prawns – 2 cups (Peeled, Deveined and Cleaned)
11. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
12. Coriander Powder – 1/2 tsp
13. Red Chilly Powder/Paprika Powder – 1 tsp
14. Fish Sauce or Shrimp Paste – 1 tsp
15. Sambal Oelek/Hot Sauce – 1 tsp
16. Kacap Manis/Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
17. Sweet Chilly Sauce – 1 tsp
18. Oil – 3 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Cook any long grain rice. Allow it to cool and refrigerate it overnight.
2. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a wok. Add shallots and saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the finely chopped ginger, garlic and red chillies. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add all the chopped vegetables along with salt and saute for around 5 minutes.
5. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp chilly powder and saute for a minute.
6. Add 1 tsp fish sauce or shrimp paste, 1 tsp hot chilly sauce and 1 tsp sweet chilly sauce and mix well for 2 minutes.
7. Next add the prawns and stir fry for around 3-4 minutes till they change color.
8. Add 2 tbsp Indonesian soy sauce and stir for a minute.
9. Increase the heat and add the cold rice to the wok. Toss the rice for 3-4 minutes breaking lumps gently.
10. Make sure that the rice is heated thoroughly but doesn’t get burnt before removing from stove top.