Nasi Goreng
Indonesian fried rice with sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste
The recipe
Nasi Goreng — the national dish of Indonesia, and one of the most recognized fried rice dishes in the world. The 2011 CNN poll named it the #2 most delicious food on the planet. The dish is Chinese in origin (the technique of frying leftover rice came with Hokkien immigrants), but the Indonesian version was defined by the addition of kecap manis, terasi (shrimp paste), and sambal — three ingredients that gave it a savory-sweet-spicy depth no other fried rice has. The rice must be day-old, cold, and dry; only then will the grains separate in the wok and char properly. Indonesian households eat nasi goreng for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; the roadside *kios nasi goreng* lights up its wok at dusk and serves until 2 AM.
Ingredients
Method
💡 Tips from the kitchen
- ·Day-old rice is non-negotiable. Fresh rice will clump and turn to mush.
- ·The terasi is the secret — don't skip it.
- ·Indonesian nasi goreng is sweeter than Chinese or Thai versions. The kecap manis is what defines it.
The story
Did you know?
🇮🇩 Indonesia has 17,000+ islands — only 6,000 are inhabited.
Cook it yourself
Nasi Goreng is one of Indonesia's heritage dishes. Want to try the recipe at home?
See the recipe →
