Shrimp paste varies widely in texture, colour, and flavour. In fact, I often substitute shrimp paste for an Ivorian staple - adjovan - which is difficult to find outside Ivory Coast. Pacific Islanders and West Africans have a similar tradition. It adds a certain funky fishiness that enhances the flavour of sambals and is, in fact, the foundational flavour of many familiar curry pastes and dishes from the region.Īs odd as it seems, the tradition of using fermented shrimp and fish as a flavour enhancer is not limited to Southeast Asia. Shrimp paste is a traditional, artisanally fermented condiment that’s popular throughout Southeast Asia. However, once you use it in a recipe, you’ll realise that shrimp paste fades subtly into the background, while adding a hit of umami to any dish it’s present in. To the uninitiated it may seem a little strange, and its initial fragrance is overpowering. Shrimp paste is fundamental to nasi goreng‘s flavour. Once you’re familiar with the basic recipe, this is one of those recipes that can be tweaked to use up just about anything you happen to have on hand or to keep the cost of dinner down by using what the garden or the farmer’s market are overflowing with at the moment. If I have more guests suddenly pitch for dinner, I’ll toss in some shredded omelette or extra vegetables to “stretch” the rice further. In the mouth, nasi goreng is a riot of flavour and textures and - regardless of the ingredients - it’s always delicious!įor me, this recipe is more a formula than a set of rules. Finally, the rice is finished with fresh herbs, vegetables and crunchy fried shallots. Garlicky sweet chili sauce, kecap manis, and dark soy add complexity, while you choose the add-ins - omelettes, vegetables, leftover meat, bean sprouts, tofu. It starts with the funky flavour of fermented shrimp and the salty, spiciness of sambal oelek ( a fresh, crushed chili paste). Where Cantonese fried rice is subtle, elegant, and delicious in its simplicity, nasi goreng is colourful, complex, and exciting. At the time, nasi goreng was a staple on restaurant menus in the capital, Kathmandu, where we both fell in love with this deliciously rich, satisfying, and flavourful Indonesian dish.įor the uninitiated, nasi goreng is Indonesia’s answer to fried rice. Years ago, my husband and I both traveled to Nepal regularly. Nasi goreng has long been one of our family favourites. A terrific way to turn leftovers into a delightful and satisfying meal! All fried rice dishes are a combination of egg and rice at a minimum, but the best thing about nasi goreng is the contrast of textures you get between the soft, oily rice, the soft, oozy egg, the fresh cucumber and tomato, and the crunchy prawn cracker.Nasi Goreng, Indonesia’s classic fried rice dish, is a deliciously easy and economical weeknight supper. Hotter chillies will obviously produce a hotter dish. You can adjust the spiciness of the dish by the kind of chillies you use.Try this with dried shrimp or topped with fried dried anchovies (ikan bilis) for a different twist.Remove the fried rice to a plate and serve with the prawn crackers, sliced cucumber and tomato, and top with a fried egg. Drizzle over the kecap manis and mix until the rice is uniformly coated and lightly toasted. Increase the heat under the wok and add the chicken breast, prawns and beans and toss for a minute or two until the chicken and prawns are barely cooked through. Return the wok to medium heat.Īdd the rempah to the oil and fry, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, or until the oil separates from the solids and they are darkened and fragrant. Remove the oil from the wok, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons for further frying. You can use this oil to fry your prawn crackers if you like. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the eggs one at a time until puffy, and browned and crisp around the edges. Check out the video below.ġ large red chilli, seeds removed (or other chillies as you prefer)Ĥ cups cooked Jasmine rice, chilled overnight in the fridgeĬombine the garlic, eschallots, belacan and chilli in a small food processor and process to a coarse paste (rempah). This is the third instalment of Fried Rice Fridays on my YouTube channel. It can be as simple as rice fried with the rempah and topped with a fried egg, or you can add other ingredients to it like I have here, with chicken, prawns and green beans. Nasi goreng literally just means ‘fried rice’ in Bahasa and the key to this dish is the aromatic rempah made from eschallots, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste.