Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) is traditionally an Indonesian breakfast dish, but here in Australia and other parts of the world, it seems to have become popular as a lunch or dinner dish. Either way, it’s the best way to use up left over rice. Nasi Goreng is best made with day-old rice, or at least rice that has been allowed to cool completely, otherwise you’ll end up with a sticky, stodgy mess.
There are endless variations of Nasi Goreng; some with shredded meats, peas, corn, pork, ham, celery, peanuts… you name it! Nasi Goreng is usually served with Dadar Iris (shredded omelette)
This recipe will yield enough Nasi Goreng for quite a few people (6-8 people?) so you may want to halve everything if you are cooking for 2-4 people.
Also, I believe the secret ingredient to a good Nasi Goreng is the Terasi (belachan/dried shrimp paste). While it smells horrible by itself, it makes many dishes absolutely amazing.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups of cooked rice (cooked the day before)
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed (I love garlic)
- 1-2 teaspoon Terasi (shrimp paste)
- 1 tablespoon Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 1 medium-large onion
- 2 teaspoon fresh chilli, minced
- Dried shrimp (You can use large, fresh shrimp if you like. I prefer the tiny dried type)
- Oil
- Salt to taste
METHOD:
- Slice the onion lengthwise (or dice it), and fry in a wok with garlic, chilli and terasi until the onion is soft.
- Add the rice and salt and mix thoroughly and constantly, making sure every grain of rice is coated.
- Add the kecap manis and continue to mix thoroughly to make sure the colour is even throughout.
- Add the shrimp (or whatever else you like) and continue to mix.
- Serve hot, garnished with sliced spring onions and/or dadar iris (shredded omelette)