If every country has a national dish, Nasi Goreng, hands down, is Indonesia’s.  It’s by far the most recognized Indonesian food in the world.

Ask anyone who’s been there, I bet they know what it is because it’s served at just about every hotel breakfast around the country, both a la carte and buffet.  I know it sounds weird: rice, spice, and chicken for breakfast?

But add a sunny side up on top and you get a perfectly satisfying breakfast that will keep your belly happy until lunch time.  There are so many different variations with two of my all-time favorites:

• Nasi goreng komplit – spicy fried rice served with a sunny side up on top, chicken satay and fried chicken on the side along with kerupuk udang (shrimp crackers) and acar (Indonesian pickles).
• Tripe and stinky bean fried rice – yes, it’s the kind of bean you should not eat before going on a first date.

MAKING NASI GORENG AT HOME

I think of nasi goreng as an “anything but the kitchen sink” kind of dish.  Practically anything in the fridge, including any leftovers, can be included in this dish.

• If you have steak and roasted veggies from last night dinner, go right ahead and dump them in.
• If you have sambal terasi, sambal oelek or sriracha, add those too and make it spicy.

As long as you follow the general rule of pan-frying rice in spices, with or without some vegetable and/or protein, and add a couple of tablespoons of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) for flavoring, you’ve accomplished creating your own fried rice.

The addition of kecap manis is what differentiates Indonesian fried rice from all other fried rice.  Our soy sauce is sweeter, earthier, and richer with a darker color.

A CLOSER LOOK AT CANDLENUT

Candlenut is a commonly used ingredient for Indonesian nasi goreng

In Indonesia it’s called kemiri however it’s the kukui nut in Hawaii.  The tree that produces candlenuts is widely cultivated in Polynesia and southeast Asian islands.

We use this nut in a variety of dishes from nasi goreng to soups and sauces such as soto ayam (chicken soup) and peanut sauce.  It is used to thicken sauces and add richness to any dish.

It looks somewhat similar to macadamia nuts in color but slightly rougher in texture and almost twice the size.  Raw candlenut is mildly toxic, but it wears off once roasted or cooked. 

The other day I decided to take a bite just to see what it tasted like without knowing about the toxins in a raw candlenut.  I’m hoping it had been pre-roasted since I am still alive and feeling fine!  Since I was still curious for another taste, I roasted a few candlenut in an oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and took a bite.

The flavor was earthy and nutty, a little bland with a hint of bitterness. The texture is similar to other nuts.  In ancient Hawaii, the raw nut was used in traditional candle making.  Because of the high fat content, it would burn like a candle, hence the name candlenut.

PREPARATION TIPS

• To make sure you don’t end up with mushy fried rice, always start with cold cooked rice.
• Traditionally all spices are ground using mortar and pestle.  For a short cut, add thinly sliced shallot, garlic and chili pepper. It can also be chopped into small pieces or blended in a food processor.
• I prefer grinding candlenut with mortar and pestle for a smoother paste.
• Marinated chicken and scrambled eggs should be cooked separately and added at the end.
• Terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste) can be substituted with sambal terasi or sambal bajak.  (all can be found in Asian grocery stores or online at Amazon or a specialty Indo food store).  This will make a much spicier fried rice (how I like it!).  You can also opt out terasi if it’s too pungent for your taste.

Yield: 3

NASI GORENG (INDONESIAN FRIED RICE)

Print

Indonesian Fried Rice

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the fried rice:

• 6 cups cold cooked rice (I use Jasmine rice)
• 3 small shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 red chili peppers (red jalapeno)
• 3 candlenuts
• 3 Tbs kecap manis
• 1 Tbs ketchup (my family cook's secret ingredient!)
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs sambal terasi (available in Asian grocery store or online Indo food store)
• 3 eggs
• Green onions, sliced
• Oil for frying

For the chicken:

• ½ lb chicken
• 1 Tbs kecap manis
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

To make scrambled eggs:

1. Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork.
2. In a skillet or wok, over medium heat, add 1 tbs of oil. Pour whisked eggs into hot skillet.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper and let cook for 1 minute then start scrambling.
4. Cook for another 15 seconds until eggs are set. Remove and set aside. 

To make chicken:

1. Dice into ½” cubes, add kecap manis, lime juice, and white pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside and prepare ingredients for fried rice.
2. Add 1 Tbs oil into above skillet or wok and heat over medium high. Add chicken and brown for about 2 minutes each side.
3. Remove and set aside.

To make fried rice:

1. Thinly slice shallots, garlic cloves, and chili peppers. Grind candlenut using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can put them in a food processor.
2. Place about 2 Tbs oil in skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add shallots, garlic, chili peppers, candlenuts and sambal.
3. Stir and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add rice to skillet and using a big spatula, start mixing while breaking rice. Add kecap manis, ketchup and soy sauce and stir well. After about a minute, turn heat down to low. Keep mixing until well combined for another minute.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add cooked chicken and eggs, mix until well combined and turn off heat.
7. Sprinkle green onion.
8. Serve immediately with cucumber and tomato slices.  

CONCLUSION

I like all kinds of fried rice including Chinese fried rice with pork charsiu, Thai spicy fried rice with basil, Vietnamese fried rice with Chinese sausage, Japanese fried rice (the kind served in a teppanyaki restaurant), but nothing compares to Indonesian spicy nasi goreng komplit (complete fried rice) topped with crispy fried shallots, accompanied by chicken satay and crispy fried chicken along with a side of acar and shrimp crackers.

There’s a reason why it is the most well-known Indonesian food.  It is just that damn delicious and satisfying. Now you can make It in your kitchen and impress your family and friends.

Stay tuned on articles for Nasi Goreng Komplit accompaniments.  But for now, enjoy the not-so-basic Indonesian fried rice!