Nasi goreng

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This nasi goreng recipe shows how easy it is to recreate the beloved Indonesian dish at home. Prawns are fried together with rice and a trio of Asian condiments before being topped with spring onions, crispy shallots and cucumber. Take a look at Shu's other fried rice recipes here.

First published in 2019

Nasi goreng is essentially the Malay word for fried rice. Kecap manis (a type of sweetened soy sauce) gives the dish its signature sweet flavour and helps the rice to caramelise. Sambal tumis (which can be found in most Asian supermarkets) is chilli paste that’s been slowly cooked, often with toasted shrimp paste, and adds wonderful depth of flavour and aroma to the dish. While tomato purée might look like an odd addition to the ingredients list, many Malay hawkers back home often add a sneaky dollop of it (or even ketchup) to the dish for extra sweetness and colour. I love mine served with prawns and crispy fried shallots, but feel free to change things up with your favourite vegetables, chicken or shredded omelette.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Nasi Goreng

To serve

Method

1
Heat about 3cm of oil in a wok over medium heat. Dab the shallot slices dry and place in the hot oil – they should bubble mildly. Fry for about 8 minutes until they turn golden. Turn the heat off and allow the shallots to continue to sizzle in the residual heat of the oil until they are golden brown. Drain the fried shallots – they crisp up as they cool. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the fragrant shallot oil in the wok, reserving the rest. Place the wok back on the heat
2
Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir fry for a few seconds until fragrant
3
Turn the heat up to high. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until the edges turn pink
4
Add the cold cooked rice. Spread the rice out so that everything is heated through, and jab lightly with the edge of your spatula to break up any lumps
  • 500g of long grain rice, cooked and allowed to cool completely, ideally overnight in the fridge
5
Drizzle in the sambal, kecap manis and soy sauce, along with another tablespoon of the fragrant shallot oil, stirring well to make sure everything is combined
6
Finish with the crispy fried shallots and spring onions. I also like serving with extra dollop of sambal tumis, lime juice and sliced cucumber for a crisp, fresh contrast
First published in 2019

Shu grew up in Singapore and continues her nation's obsession with food in London, where she writes about food that's seasonal, British, yet Singaporean at the same time.

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