Vegetarian Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Rice

Nasi Goreng is a quick and spicy Indonesian Fried Rice easily made with leftover rice and a few vegetables for a healthy quick bite!

Add meat, chicken or seafood along with cooked eggs for a non vegetarian version.

(Do check below for the printable Recipe Card as well as step-wise instructions on how to make this amazing yet very simple Indonesian fried rice at home).

During days when I have just no time to slave over a hot stove to make dinner or lunch, quick fried rice is my go-to dish. Most of the times, my favorite is Pulao in a Jiffy or even Mushroom Fried Rice.

This time, could not resist trying out this simple Indonesian street food which I heard about from my late friend who used to live in Malaysia for a while.

NASI GORENG

Nasi goreng means “fried rice” in Indonesia and is sometimes called the “National Dish of Indonesia”.

A quick to make yet delicious fried rice, it is normally served during breakfast with a fried egg on top for added protein.

This versatile and fiery quick rice has been on my to-do list for a long time. Although I have never been to Indonesia, the flavors of that country as well as Malaysia or even Singapore and of course China have always fascinated me and my family.

One of my close friends used to live in Malaysia and she used to always talk about Nasi Goreng; she was a pure vegetarian, so her version was without any eggs, meat, shrimp paste etc. which the traditional nasi goreng has.

Every time she mentioned that being on her menu for the day, I meant to ask her for the recipe, but never got around to it.

Unfortunately, I lost her suddenly last year and her recipe will always be inaccessible to me! My version of this amazing Indonesian fried rice is dedicated to her.

After scouting around for an authentic recipe, I gave up. There are so many variations; mostly with egg, shrimp etc.

My husband being a pure vegetarian, I decided to make my version with lots of fresh vegetables and a spicy sambal oelek bottle (Red chili paste) that I had bought on my recent trip to USA.

If you do not have that, you can use any sweet hot chili sauce (like Schezwan chutney/Sauce, Sriracha etc.) or just soak some dry red chilies in hot water for some time and then blend it with salt and a bit vinegar to make the fiery paste needed for this fried rice.

I always have a bottle of my chili-garlic sauce in my refrigerator most of the time which I would have loved to use, but being just back, decided to make do with the sambal oelek instead.

Soy sauce is added for the savory note.

For that sweet touch which Nasi Goreng has, I added some jaggery (or use brown sugar) in the sauce.

Sour element was taken care of by using some tamarind extract/tamarind paste for authenticity.

Personally, I would have loved to have a crunchy topping of peanuts, but I had none in my pantry; next time maybe! But if you do have, you must try adding that too.

Now, to make Nasi Goreng, traditionally and ideally, you need cold, cooked long grain rice with each grain separate. So leftover rice is best for making this fried rice.

My lunch was going to be nasi goreng.

So I made a fresh batch of Basmati rice and spread it out in a pan to cool.

With the healthy crunch of fresh green beans, cabbage and carrots, colorful, flavorful Nasi goreng was ready in a jiffy; ready in 20 minutes!

Do try my version of this simple but vibrant and flavorful Indonesian fried rice and let me know in the comment box below or post a picture of your dish on my Facebook page.

Other rice dishes you may like:

• Satvik Tomato Pulao
• Lemon Rice (south Indian Style)
• Quick Mexican Rice

How to make Nasi Goreng with step-by-step method:

• Boil rice in water until just cooked, drain, rinse and spread on a plate to cool. Prepare rice at least a few hours ahead or the day before and refrigerate until ready to use. You can even use leftover rice to make Nasi Goreng.
• Add jaggery or brown sugar to soy sauce and keep aside.
• If using tamarind extract, soak a small marble-sized piece of tamarind in some water for a few minutes and extract about 2 to 3 tablespoons tamarind extract. Keep aside. You could use bottle tamarind paste instead too.
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan or work on medium high heat; once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.

• Stir in the carrots and green beans and sauté for a few minutes until the beans are slightly cooked.

• Tip in the cabbage and mix well; fry for a minute on medium high.

• Once the vegetables are slightly cooked (do not overcook), add the sambal oelek/red chilli paste/chili garlic paste/red chilli sauce/Schzwan chutney or sauce along with soy sauce-sugar mixture and tamarind extract/tamarind paste and continue to stir for about a minute or two.

• Add rice and pepper powder along with salt to taste and mix well. Once the rice is heated through and all the flavors are well incorporated, do a taste test and adjust the seasonings like salt, pepper, tamarind or chili paste.
• Try not to overcook the veggies. Still need a crunchy bite in them to get the best flavor of this rice.
• Stir fry well and remove from heat.

• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves or chopped green onions and serve hot with a side of cucumber and tomato slices.
• For extra crunch and flavor you can sprinkle roasted peanuts for a crunchy topping.

 

• Enjoy!!

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