Author Notes
This classic Indonesian breakfast dish is a perfect way to use up leftover rice. You can make it with any variety of long grain rice, just be sure that the cooked rice is completely cold before you start, as rice that is still hot will go soggy and oily if you start frying it. This recipe is supremely flexible so feel free to substitute with any seasonal vegetables of your choice. What gives the dish its uniquely Indonesian flavor is the addition of fermented shrimp paste, which adds a deep pungent aroma, and kecap manis, a sweetened Indonesian soy sauce. You can find both in Asian grocery stores or online.
Note: To DIY kecap manis, reduce soy sauce with sugar. Here's a full guide. —Yasmin Khan
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe was featured in the story Punchy, Egg-Topped Nasi Goreng Is How Indonesia Does Fried Rice —The Editors
Ingredients
- For the Dish
-
1 1/2 cups
brown basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions plus 1/2 tsp of salt (cooled)
-
Canola oil
-
1 tablespoon
sesame oil
-
3
shallots, finely sliced
-
2
garlic cloves, finely sliced
-
1
red chile, deseeded and finely diced
-
1.5 tablespoons
kecap manis
-
1 teaspoon
fermented shrimp paste
-
1/2 teaspoon
paprika
-
2 teaspoons
concentrated tomato paste
-
2
medium carrots, diced into small pieces
-
3 cups
Tuscan kale (or green cabbage), finely sliced
-
2 tablespoons
lime juice
-
Salt and black pepper
- To serve
-
4
eggs
-
Finely chopped fresh cilantro
-
Lime wedges
-
Sambal oelek (or other hot chile sauce)
Directions
-
Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and fry for 3-4 minutes until they have softened.
-
Add all the remaining ingredients apart from the rice and cook over a medium heat until the vegetables are just cooked through. This should take around 5 minutes. Cover your pan if you can to stop the vegetables drying out. Otherwise, add a splash of water.
-
Add the rice, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper and mix it thoroughly with the vegetables until it is coated with the sauce. Add a touch more sesame oil if it is looking a bit dry and then taste and adjust the seasoning.
-
As the rice is warming up, heat some canola oil in a frying pan and begin to fry the eggs, sunny side up.
-
To serve, ladle the fried rice onto a plate and top with a fried egg. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and finish with a smattering of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and some sambal oelek on the side.
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