Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatic Paste
- 50 g shallots, roughly chopped
- 15 g garlic, peeled
- 4 g bird's eye chilies, stems removed
- 10 g belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
Rice and Main Components
- 400 g jasmine rice, cooked, cooled, and chilled overnight
- 4 eggs, large, room temperature
- 45 ml vegetable oil, divided use
Seasonings
- 30 ml kecap manis
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 30 g sambal oelek
Garnish
- 100 g cucumber, sliced diagonally
- 15 g fried shallots, crispy
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1136 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrates
- 174 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1623 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 372 mg
- Potassium
- 741 mg
- Calcium
- 157 mg
- Iron
- 12.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 103 mg
- Phosphorus
- 516 mg
- Zinc
- 4.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 171 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 31 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.26 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.65 mg
- Niacin
- 9.3 mg
- Folate
- 531 mcg
- Water
- 208 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the chopped shallots, garlic, bird's eye chilies, and toasted belacan into a mortar. Pound vigorously with the pestle until a rough, fragrant paste forms.
Heat 15ml of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry two of the eggs sunny-side up until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Remove the eggs and set aside for garnish.
Add the remaining 30ml of vegetable oil to the wok. Lower heat slightly and add the pounded aromatic paste. Cook until the oil begins to separate from the solids and the raw shallot aroma mellows.
Push the cooked paste to one side of the wok. Crack the remaining two eggs into the empty space. Allow them to set for just a few seconds, then scramble quickly and mix thoroughly into the paste.
Increase the heat to high. Add the chilled, day-old jasmine rice. Use the edge of the wok spatula to break up any clumps, tossing continuously to coat every grain with the egg and aromatic mixture.
Drizzle the kecap manis, light soy sauce, and sambal evenly over the rice. Toss vigorously, scraping the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking, until the rice takes on an even, deep brown hue and becomes slightly toasted.
Divide the hot fried rice between serving plates. Top each mound of rice with a reserved fried egg, and garnish the side with cucumber slices and a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots.
Chef's Notes
- Toasting the belacan before pounding is non-negotiable. It transforms the aroma from aggressively fishy to a deep, savory, roasted umami profile. You can toast it in a dry skillet or over an open flame wrapped in foil.
- Wok hei (breath of the wok) is essential for authentic fried rice. Ensure your wok is properly preheated and do not overcrowd it. If scaling the recipe up, fry the rice in batches.
- For easier clump-breaking, gently crumble the cold rice with your hands (wet your fingers slightly to prevent sticking) before adding it to the wok.
- Kecap manis burns easily due to its high sugar content. Always keep the rice moving constantly once the sauces are added to prevent bitter, scorched spots.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Reheating: Microwave on high with a damp paper towel over the bowl, or stir-fry briefly until piping hot.
Troubleshooting
Rice is mushy and clumps together instead of separating into distinct grains.
Cause: Using warm, freshly cooked rice which contains too much surface moisture.
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed. Spreading the rice on a wide baking sheet and cooling it rapidly in front of a fan before cooking can mitigate minor moisture issues.
Prevention: Always use rice that has been cooked, cooled, and stored in the refrigerator overnight. The dry air of the fridge dehydrates the exterior of the grains.
Aromatic paste tastes raw or excessively pungent.
Cause: The paste was not cooked long enough to achieve pecah minyak (oil separation).
Fix: Cannot be fixed once the rice is added.
Prevention: Allow the pounded aromatics to fry gently until the oil visibly splits from the solid ingredients.
Cultural Context
Nasi Goreng, translating simply to fried rice, is a cornerstone of Malaysian and Indonesian street food and domestic cooking. Born out of the necessity to utilize leftover rice and prevent food waste in tropical climates, it distinguishes itself from Chinese-style fried rice through its reliance on intense, earthy flavor bases like belacan (shrimp paste) and caramelized kecap manis. It is enjoyed universally across the region, often served at breakfast to provide hardy energy for the day.
