The national dish of Indonesia and voted among the top most beloved foods in the world, this traditional Nasi Goreng recipe featured fried rice with chicken, shrimp, and a delicious homemade Indonesian sauce called kecap manis!
Two years ago CNN conducted a poll among 35,000 individuals to determine the world’s 50 most beloved foods. The results were unexpected. Guess what ranked #2? You got it, it was Nasi Goreng! Nasi Goreng, the national dish of Indonesia, translates as “fried rice.” A few weeks ago Heidi requested a “great fried rice recipe” (“Make a Request!”). That was my only parameter, so I got to take whatever culinary license I wanted ;) Heidi, wherever you are, I believe you’ll find this recipe fits the bill!
What is Nasi Goreng?
Fried rice, a cuisine enjoyed by many nations, stems from an effort to avoid wasting precious food in the days before refrigeration was available. Frying rice helps prevent the formation of illness-causing microbes and enabled people to enjoy leftovers. Nasi Goreng still traditionally uses leftover rice from the previous night’s dinner. Believe it or not, in Indonesia Nasi Goreng is a breakfast food! That’s right, this spicy chicken and shrimp fried rice is traditionally served at home, by street vendors, in restaurants and in hotels for breakfast. Nasi Goreng is also a popular dish in the Netherlands through its colonial ties with Indonesia. What makes Nasi Goreng unique from other fried rice dishes is its use of Kecap Manis, or ketjap manis, a sweet Indonesian soy sauce. Kecap Manis can be purchased in most Asian stores, or you can very easily make it yourself, which I highly recommend (it tastes much better!). Check out my recipe for Kecap Manis.
Pro Tips for Making Nasi Goreng
There are four key steps to achieving good fried rice: 1) Long-grain rice must be used, it’s less sticky, 2) The rice must be refrigerated overnight, 3) The rice must be dry, so spreading it out across a baking sheet as it chills is paramount, and 4) When added to the other ingredients, toss the rice to heat it through – try to avoid stirring it as much as possible or the rice will clump. As noted in the recipe, use as many or as little of the hot chile seeds as you desire. Just be careful – they pack a punch! I remember the first time I made this dish, my son was 18 months old. He was a typical picky eater but he really showed a lot of interest in what we were eating, much to my surprise. So I gave him a little spoonful…and another…and another…and finally gave him his own bowl full. He loved it! Spiciness, fish sauce, and all! While I can’t guarantee your young kids will like this, I am confident YOU will!
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