Nasi Goreng - Delicious Indonesian Fried Rice - step by step easy recipe

This glorious rice dish is a traditional Indonesian one which has now been embraced by other countries in the region and is a culinary star in its own right!

This is just a one-pot dish with multiple flavours and no wonder that it gained such a huge popularity. 

Indonesian mothers used to serve this dish as breakfast by tossing vegetables, leftover cooked chicken and prawns with cold rice from the previous night’s dinner and flavoured with some sauces. They must have never believed that this simple, hurriedly rustled-up dish would win the hearts of many and become the most sorted dish in the Asian region and beyond.

It’s indeed, a very clever way to give the leftover rice a scrumptiously flavourful finish. So, keeping the tradition, I too made my Nasi Goreng using pre-cooked cold rice from the fridge.

The benefit of using cold rice is that it does not get overcooked in the process of cooking under a high flame but gives a very appetising texture.

Adding prawns to this dish proves to be a perfect culinary ingenuity, as seafood and rice just go so well together. Yet, the secret of the addictive delicious taste and tempting colour stems from the homemade chilli paste.

The savoury taste of shrimp, blended with the subtle sweetness of soy sauce and sugar with the right quantities of chilli flakes, ginger and garlic provides a more delicious twist than any other food enhancer.

            Chilli paste - You can make the chilli paste in advance and store it in the fridge for future use

Let’s make it;

Gather all the ingredients needed for the rice and for the chilli paste

1) Ingredients needed for the rice 

Ingredients    Amounts

• Basmati Rice   2cups
• Chicken           500g
• Prawns            250g
• Carrots            1cup
• Leeks              1cup
• Onion              1
• Ginger/garlic
• Green chillis   1
• Eggs               3
• Salt
• Green chilli  1
• Sesame oil

Sauces:

Soy sauce       4tbsp

Fish sauce      4tbsp

         

2) Ingredients needed for the Chilli Paste

Ingredients    Amounts

• Dried Shrimp  2cups
• Sugar              1tbsp
• Salt                 1tsp
• Soy sauce        3tbsp
• Chilli flakes     2tbsp        
• Onion              1/2cup
• Ginger/garlic   2tbsp
• Vinegar           1tbsp

             

1st Step –  Make the Chilli Paste

Homemade chilli paste for Nasi Goreng

 

Ingredients needed for the Chilli Paste        

While experimenting on this great taste bud winner, I came across a method to minimize the amount of oil used in it  Instead of deep frying all the ingredients as everyone usually does,  I stir-fried!

Surprisingly,  the taste was supreme, despite not being drenched in oil like many available brands on the shop shelves. Taste this once and you will never buy any supermarket brands.  Make a large batch and fill it into a glass bottle and store it in the fridge. It will sit in the fridge fresh and aromatic for about a month.

Let's make it;

• In 2tbsp of oil, fry the dried shrimp and keep aside
• Add 1tbsp more oil and fry onions and keep aside
• Add 1tbsp of oil and fry chilli flakes, chopped ginger and garlic
• Bring them all together and give a good mix
• Add soy sauce, sugar and salt
• Add vinegar
• Check the taste and add more salt and sugar accordingly, until it is just the right flavour you are looking for!
• Crush coarsely using a hand blender
• Your delicious chilli paste is ready to use now

2nd Step – Marinate and stir-fry chicken and prawns 

Ingredients needed for marinating :

• Chilli powder 1tsp
• Ginger and garlic grated or paste 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce 1 tbsp
• Salt and Pepper powder
• Turmeric 1/2 tsp
• Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Stir-fry 

• Mix all the following ingredients and marinate Chicken and Prawns. Keep aside at least 20 mins.  If possible do this the previous night and store it in the fridge
• Stir-fry chicken and keep it aside
• In the same pan stir-fry the prawns and keep them aside

(Prepare  this on the previous day and store in the fridge to save time)

3rd Step – Scramble the eggs

• Beat 2 eggs with a little salt and pepper and keep aside

4th Step – Prepare the rice(Make this on the previous day and place in the fridge)

• Wash the rice and leave in a bowl filled with cold water for 20 min
• Drain water and fill with fresh water just above the rice
• Add a few drops of oil
• Cook under medium flame until fluffy
• Keep aside to cool off completely (Cooked cold rice from the fridge is best for this recipe)

5th step – Let’s fry up all together

• Heat sessame oil in a pan
• Stir-fry Onions and garlic
• Add in carrots.  Stir fry until almost done
• Tip the thinly cut leeks
• Add in eggs and give a good mix until they scramble
• Push all to a side and add the sauces; soy and fish sauce
• Bring the sauces and veggies together.
• Stir fry on high flame
• Add in green chillies - preferably ripe red green chillies
• Drop fried chicken and prawns 
• Continue to stir-fry all under and bring all together
• Now add cold rice and stir-fry tossing and mixing rapidly under a high flame
• Adjust the taste; You can add more salt or sauces according to your taste
• Your Nasi rice is ready to serve now
• Fill a round bowl with rice, press down and tip upside down onto a plate to make a shape of a dome
• Place the carefully fried egg on top and serve
• It's time to enjoy your home-made Nasi Gorenge dish