Nasi Goreng Kampung (Indonesian Fried Rice)

This Nasi Goreng Kampung is an Indonesian Fried Rice. Sweet, salty, and perfectly spicy, it is a quick and easy meal one pot meal. Made with regular ingredients from your pantry, this fried rice is vegetarian-friendly and just as good as your favorite takeaway. No prep is required, so it’s faster than delivery!

If you love quick and easy take-away-style meals, check out some other recipes here.

When I cannot be bothered to cook elaborate meals (which is most week-nights!), meals like this simple stir-fry have always been my go-to.

Here’s Why You Should Try This Popular Indonesian Fried Rice!

• Quick and easy to make, it comes together in 15-20 minutes
• Has vegetables and proteins, all in one meal
• No need for multiple utensils
• A wholesome meal that tastes like takeaway
• Perfect to pack for lunches the next day
• Adjust spice levels to suit every palate

I have simplified this Nasi Goreng recipe to make it easy, with plenty of short-cuts and alternatives for ingredients if you cannot find them in your local supermarkets. The mission here is to NOT go on a wild goose chase hunting for exotic ingredients, but also not compromise on the flavors.

Complete Ingredient List to make Nasi Goreng

Sambal Paste (Chili Paste For Nasi Goreng)

This sambal paste is made out of chilis, onions, and garlic. Shrimp paste (belacan) can also be used, but I have omitted that to keep the recipe simpler. If using, add half a teaspoon of shrimp paste to the sambal ingredients.

Chilis: I have used Thai chilies ( Bird’s Eye). These can be purchased fresh or dried. Soak dried chilis in a cup of hot water, drain, and use as fresh to make sambal paste. These are small but pack a lot of heat. If you have a low tolerance for spice, reduce the quantity to suit your palate. If you cannot find Thai chilis, use any other red variety, or look out for Sambal Oelek paste, which is basically the chili paste.

Shallots: Shallots grow in clusters and have oblong cloves, which are milder, sweeter, and more subtle than the pungent flavors of onions. If you do not have shallots, substitute with red onions, which are milder than other varieties.

Garlic: If possible, use fresh garlic, rather than ready garlic paste. It will add more aroma to your Nasi Goreng.

Stir Fry Ingredients for Nasi Goreng

Oil: Use any neutral-smelling oil like vegetable oil etc. Strongly flavored oils like olive oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, etc are not suitable.

Sambal Paste – This is just a mix of chilis, shallots, and garlic – ready to fry. Making a paste – either in a mortar, or grinder bruises the ingredients and makes them release flavor into your fried rice.

Peas: I have used thawed frozen peas. If using fresh, cook them prior to stir-frying. Add fresh peas to boiling water on the stove-top, and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. For microwaving – Add a tablespoon of water for 1 cup of peas and microwave on full strength for 4-5 minutes. Check for doneness.

Cooked Rice: I have used Jasmine rice. You can also use long-grain rice. You can also substitute with Jasmine rice. For fried rice, it is very important to dry out cooked rice. Wet rice creates soggy fried rice that sticks to the wok. That’s why this is a perfect dish to use up leftover rice. If you do not have any, cook rice as per instructions, and spread it on a large plate or baking tray to dry it out. Dry under a fan for about 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge uncovered. To prevent food poisoning, never leave out cooked rice for more than 4 hours.

Eggs: This is a two-egg dish. The first one is scrambled with the stir fry. The second is added on top as an omelet for garnish.

Kecap Manis: Kecap Manis is a sweet soy sauce (Kecap = soy sauce, Manis = sweet) which adds the quintessential sweet-salty flavor to Nasi Goreng. These are found in all major supermarkets in Australia. However, if you cannot find this, heat regular soy sauce with an equal volume of sugar (preferably brown) for about 5-7 minutes in a saucepan. Once it gets thick, like honey, take off the heat, cool, and use as kecap manis. If you have hoisin sauce, you can use that too.

Garnishes for Nasi Goreng

Following are the commonly used garnishes. Use as many as you like.

• Fried Egg: This is cooked in the same wok with a bit of oil, till the edges get crispy and the whites are cooked completely. The yolk should be runny, which can then break over the rice.
• Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes
• Fried Shallots/ Onions: These are found in many Indian or Asian supermarkets. To make this at home, thinly slice onions and deep fry them till crispy. drain and place over a paper towel. I always keep a pack of readymade fried onions, as they come in handy for many dishes, without the hassle of deep frying.
• Extra Sambal paste: For the chili lovers!
• Prawn Crackers: These are also found in most supermarkets and add that crunch to the dish.
• Pickled Vegetables: Simple pickle made by soaking cucumbers, carrots, chilis, and shallots in a vinegar solution.
• Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis) – They add an umami crunch to your rice.

Step-by-step recipe with photos: How to make Nasi Goreng Kampung (Indonesian Fried Rice)

Some Useful Tips

Wok: Woks are made of a thin sheet of carbon steel and absorb heat quickly. This makes them an excellent choice for fast stir-frying. If you don’t own one, use a deep frying pan.

Mise en place: Fancy term that simply means prepping all ingredients and keeping them ready to go. This is very important when working with a thin wok on high heat. It is also helpful to organize ingredients in the order in which they go in the wok to make the process smooth and efficient.

Soy Sauce: When possible pick a dark soy sauce. It gives a beautiful caramel color to the rice, while not being as salty as the regular variety.

Taste as you go: Since there are two types of soy sauces used, just taste for saltiness before seasoning with extra salt.

For afters, here is a perfect Asian dessert to cool off with – a Vietnamese fruit cocktail.

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Health Advice: We are not medical professionals or dieticians. Please consult your doctor if a diet or way of eating is suitable for you.

Nutritional Panel: Our nutritional values are calculated by Spooncular API. While we try our best to ensure these values are correct, please confirm these independently.