Sometimes referred to as Indonesian Fried Rice, this Nasi Goreng is similar to the Spanish Paella. This version uses a beautifully fragrant almond paste and it also has a nice bit of a chilli kick to it! Wonderfully fragrant rice, cooked with vegetables, chicken, prawns and egg. If you have never tried Nasi Goreng before, you will be surprised at just how easy it is to make.
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What is Nasi Goreng?
Nasi Goreng, is an Indonesian rice dish whose name literally meaning "fried rice". It contains meat and vegetables (usually chicken, shrimp (prawns) and onions).
What makes Nasi Goreng different from fried rice is the sauce it is cooked in. The sauce is made from a paste of garlic, ginger, almonds, lemongrass and spices. This is a very fragrant dish with complex flavours, but it is absolutely delicious and far easier to make than it sounds.
It is quite a time intensive recipe to make, but not difficult. It is well worth the time and effort.
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Why You Will Love It
- A really interesting way to eat rice
- Easy to adapt with different ingredients
- An easy Indonesian dish to cook at home
- Impressive for guests
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Nasi goreng paste - We have made our own for this recipe, but ready made pastes can be bought.
- Eggs and milk - Used to make the omelette. Try to use the freshest eggs possible and either organic or free range.
- Tamari sauce - Used to flavour the omelette. You can substitute this for Soy sauce or omit completely.
- Chicken - We used chicken breast, but thighs will work well too.
- Brown rice - White rice ca be used too.
- Onions and mushrooms - used as a base for the fried rise.
- Prawns (shrimp) - We used ready cooked king prawns for this.
- Green beans - To serve and add some greens.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Nasi Goreng
One: Put the peppercorns, nutmeg, almonds, turmeric, salt and chilli flakes in a pestle and mortar or food processor and combine - it doesn't need to be completely smooth. Once combined, put into a bowl and set aside.
Two: Combine the ginger, garlic, lemon grass and lime juice in a pestle and mortar until smooth. Mix in the fish sauce, oil and lime juice.
Three: Add the dry almond mix to the ginger/garlic and mix to form a paste. Set aside.
Four: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Five: Boil the rice until cooked. Drain and put to the side.
Six: Heat the rest of the olive oil in the pan and lightly fry the onions and mushrooms until golden brown.
Seven: Put the green beans on to boil.
Eight: Add the paste to the onions and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
Nine: Add the rice and boiling water and continue to cook until the water has reduced.
Ten: Add the chicken, prawns and the green beans and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Eleven: Beat the eggs, milk and tamari sauce (optional).
Twelve: In a separate pan heat a little oil and make an omelette with the whisked egg mix.
Thirteen: Once the omelette is cooked, slice into 2x1 inch pieces.
Fourteen: Serve the Nasi Goreng, topped with pieces of the sliced omelette and chopped coriander (cilantro).
What Vegetables Can be Added?
This is a great recipe to make when you have a few different vegetables in your fridge that need using up. Just chop them all up and add them in. Courgettes (zucchinis) would work well, as does aubergine (eggplant) and celery.
We also sometimes add some spinach or kale in at the end for a green veggie boost.
Can it be Vegetarian?
Of course you can! Simply omit the chicken and prawns and replace with extra veggies. As said above, courgette (zucchini) and aubergine (eggplant) work really well because of their meaty texture. Instead of using small mushrooms, you could use large slices of Portobello mushrooms.
Another vegetarian option would be to use tofu - a pre-prepared, marinated tofu would make an easy addition.
Serving Suggestions
This is really a whole meal in itself, so doesn't really need anything other than the omelette and beans. If you don't want an omelette, simply serve with a fried egg. Served this way, a runny yolk will make a nice addition to the rice.
If you do want something else with it, then some tenderstem broccoli or spring greens will compliment the dish nicely.
Dannii's Top Tips
- To keep it vegetarian, replace the meat and fish with courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), Portobello mushrooms and/or tofu.
- Don't freeze the omelette, simply make a new one when preparing leftovers.
- Add some spinach at the same time as the chicken/prawns for a green veggie boost.
- If you don't have tamari sauce you can use a low salt soy sauce, or omit this ingredient completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken and prawns (shrimp) are the traditional protein to include in Nasi Goreng, but of course you can use any meat you like. Turkey or beef would both be a good substitute for the chicken. And instead of the prawns (shrimp), how about using mussels or chunks of white fish, like cod?
No, not at all. Many people top their Nasi Goreng with a fried egg or a poached egg. If you don't like eggs, you could completely leave this part out.
When the Nasi Goreng has fully cooled, portion into airtight containers and keep in the fridge. Stored this way, it will be good for up to 2 days. To reheat, either use the microwave, or reheat on the hob by stir-frying briefly, until heated through.
Yes you can - but not the omelette part. If you have made too much, simply cool fully and portion out into air-tight containers and freeze. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating by the above method. You will need to make a new omelette for the reheated version though, if you want it.
More Rice Recipes
If you've tried this nasi goreng recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Nasi Goreng
Ingredients
Paste:
- 1 teaspoon of Black peppercorns
- 0.5 teaspoon of Ground nutmeg
- 100 g (0.75 cups) of Almonds
- 1 teaspoon of Ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of Chilli flakes
- 2 Garlic clove
- 30 g (1 oz) of Fresh ginger - chopped
- 1 stalk of Lemongrass - bruised then finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon of Fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1 Lime - juice only; for the almond mix
- 1 Lime - juice only; for the garlic mix
- 1 teaspoon of Sea salt
Omelette:
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon of Skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon of Tamari sauce
- 0.5 tablespoon of Olive oil
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil - for the chicken
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil - for the onions
- 100 g (0.5 cups) of Brown rice
- 2 Onions - chopped
- 10 Mushrooms - sliced
- 200 g (7 oz) of Green beans
- 150 g (5.25 oz) of Chicken breast
- 200 g (7 oz) of King prawns
- 200 ml (0.75 cups) of Boiling water
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) - (to serve)
Instructions
- Put 1 tsp of Black peppercorns, 0.5 tsp of Ground nutmeg, 100 g of Almonds, 1 tsp of Ground turmeric, 1 tsp of Sea salt and 1 tsp of Chilli flakes into a pestle and mortar or food processor and combine - it doesn't need to be completely smooth. Once combined, put into a bowl and set aside.
- Combine 30 g of Fresh ginger, 2 Garlic clove, 1 stalk of Lemongrass and the juice of 1 Lime in a pestle and mortar until smooth. Mix in 2 tsp of Fish sauce, 1 tbsp of Olive oil and the juice of 1 Lime.
- Add the dry almond mix to the ginger/garlic and mix to form a paste. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a pan and fry 150 g of Chicken breast until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Boil 100 g of Brown rice according to the packet instructions. Drain and put to the side.
- Heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in the pan and lightly fry 2 Onions and 10 Mushrooms until golden brown.
- Put 200 g of Green beans on to boil.
- Add the paste to the onions and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and 200 ml of Boiling water and continue to cook until the water has reduced.
- Add the coked chicken, 200 g of King prawns and half the green beans and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Whisk together 2 Eggs, 1 tbsp of Skimmed milk and 1 tbsp of Tamari sauce (optional).
- In a separate pan heat 0.5 tbsp of Olive oil and make an omelette with the whisked egg mix.
- Once the omelette is cooked, slice into 2x1 inch pieces.
- Serve the Nasi Goreng, topped with the chopped omelette and finely chopped Fresh coriander (cilantro).
Recipe Tips
- To keep it vegetarian, replace the meat and fish with courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), Portobello mushrooms and/or tofu.
- Don't freeze the omelette, simply make a new one when preparing leftovers.
- Add some spinach at the same time as the chicken/prawns for a green veggie boost.
- If you don't have tamari sauce you can use a low salt soy sauce, or omit this ingredient completely.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Harriet from Toby & Roo says
I usually make this for my kids with noodles and it is one of their favourite flavour packed meals. YUM. All the yum!
Chloe says
I haven't heard of anything like this before, but I love spicy food. How spicy is it though? As my boyfriend can't handle too spicy x
denajayne says
I love that you've included the calories etc in this! Something you don't always see. xo
Laura ~ RYG says
HI dannii! This is most definitely a unique rice dish that I have not tried before! It's fun how you travel via your kitchen
emma white says
oh now this sounds so easy to make, I may have to give it a go
Poppy says
I have never heard of this before, but we eat a lot of eggs because they are cheap protein, so this looks like a new way to eat them.
Milly Youngman says
This sounds delicious - I'd also love to visit Indonesia, but I think cooking this up might have to do for now.
Tara says
Yum! Love Nasi Goring and yours looks delicious with the almond paste.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I've never had Nasi Goreng before, but I do love paella, so I'm 100% sure I would DEVOUR this!! Love the use of almond paste in here! I bet this tastes amazing!! Cheers, girl!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
This is my first time hearing about Nasi Goreng and I am fascinated! It sounds so delicious! Fingers crossed your baby comes this week!
Vivian says
OMG YUM! I've never made Nasi Goreng myself, it always seemed so difficult! Now it looks doable, thanks to you :] Great recipe, I'll try it out soon!
Kerry at Kerry Cooks says
This looks absolutely delicious Dannii! I think from the ingredients that I'd love it!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I've never tried this kind of fried rice before, but now I'm intrigued! This looks so good, Dannii! Love the flavors in here!
Paula says
This looks delicious! I also really want to visit Indonesia, one of my university friends is from there and she is always telling me to go to visit her! I need to find the time and the money to do it, but what a lovely idea to travel thru food :)
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Very appetizing and delicious!