Name: Nasi Goreng
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Ingredients: 3 cups day-old cooked rice (cold, from the refrigerator); 2 shallots, thinly sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 red chilies, sliced (adjust to taste); 1/2 tsp terasi (fermented shrimp paste) — substitute 1 tsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce); 1 tbsp regular soy sauce; 1/2 cup cooked shrimp or chicken (optional); 2 eggs; 3 tbsp vegetable oil (divided); Cucumber slices and tomato wedges for serving; Fried shallots and prawn crackers (krupuk) to serve

Indonesia's national dish — wok-fried rice with kecap manis, shrimp paste, and a fried egg on top. Simple, smoky, and endlessly satisfying.

The Cultural Story

Nasi goreng means "fried rice" in Indonesian, but that translation undersells it badly. It is the national comfort food, eaten for breakfast, as a midnight snack, and at every point between. The technique is simple — leftover rice (always leftover, never fresh; fresh rice steams instead of fries) tossed in a screaming hot wok with shallots, garlic, chili, and two ingredients that make it entirely Indonesian: terasi (fermented shrimp paste, pungent and deeply savory) and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, thick as molasses, a sauce invented in Java and unlike any other soy product on earth). The egg on top, fried in oil until the edges are crispy and lacy, is not optional. In Indonesia, nasi goreng is also a philosophy: nothing is wasted, everything is transformed. Yesterday's rice becomes today's best meal.

Ingredients

3 cups day-old cooked rice (cold, from the refrigerator)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chilies, sliced (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp terasi (fermented shrimp paste) — substitute 1 tsp fish sauce
3 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
1 tbsp regular soy sauce
1/2 cup cooked shrimp or chicken (optional)
2 eggs
3 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
Cucumber slices and tomato wedges for serving
Fried shallots and prawn crackers (krupuk) to serve

Instructions

1Fry the eggs first: heat 1 tbsp oil in the wok until smoking. Crack eggs in and fry until whites are set and edges are golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
2Add remaining oil to the same wok over high heat. Add shallots and cook until just golden.
3Add garlic, chilies, and terasi. Mash the terasi into the oil as you stir — it will smell intensely savory. Cook 1 minute.
4Add any protein and toss for 1 minute.
5Add the cold rice. Break up any clumps with your spatula. Press the rice against the hot wok surface and leave it for 30 seconds — you want some grains to char slightly.
6Drizzle kecap manis and soy sauce over the rice. Toss vigorously to coat every grain. The kecap manis will caramelize against the hot surface and turn the rice a deep, mahogany brown.
7Serve in a mound with the crispy fried egg on top. Arrange cucumber, tomato, and fried shallots around the plate. Add prawn crackers on the side. Eat immediately while the rice is still slightly crispy.

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