Nasi Goreng Recipe - Dutch-Indonesian Fried Rice

Written by
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
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Karin Engelbrecht
Updated 01/06/21
Nasi goreng

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
830 Calories
26g Fat
114g Carbs
30g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 830
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 269mg 90%
Sodium 629mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 114g 41%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 30g
Calcium 96mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Because of the Netherlands' 350-year subjugation of Indonesia, nasi goreng ("fried rice") is now a staple in every Dutch family home today. It's not authentic nasi goreng, of course: in fact, most Dutch versions use ham or bacon, which isn't halal, but that doesn't make it any less delicious.

It's classic fridge-raid food; using up leftover rice, vegetables, bacon, and eggs to make a filling meal that'll please the whole family.Turning your leftovers into another meal isn't only a tasty way to save money, but will help to save the environment, too. In this way, a longtime favorite now seems more timely than ever. Serve as a main with fried eggs and a cucumber salad, or as part of a Dutch-Indonesian rijsttafel.

We've translated and adapted this recipe from the original Dutch in Boekoe Kita. It has been republished here with the permission of the publisher.

Ingredients

  • For the Fried Eggs:
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 3 to 4 eggs
  • For the Cucumber Salad:
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 chili
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 tablespoon plain vinegar
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of black pepper, freshly ground
  • For the Goreng:
  • 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 2 large onions (peeled and finely chopped)
  • 6 garlic cloves (peeled and cut into thin slices)
  • 9 ounces/250 grams smoked bacon lardons
  • 6 eggs (beaten)
  • 5 1/2 cups/900 grams cold, cooked pandan rice (or 2 1/3 cup/450 g. dry rice)
  • Serving Suggestions:
  • Sambal
  • Ketjap manis

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this Dutch dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Fry the Egg

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat until it is so hot that you can see a faint shimmer on the surface.

  3. Break a few large, fresh eggs into the frying pan. Allow the eggs to cook for about half a minute.

  4. Then turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook them, tilting the pan and basting the eggs with the hot oil so that the tops of the eggs cook too. The eggs will be ready after a minute or so.

  5. Carefully remove the eggs from the pan with a spatula.

Make the Cucumber Salad

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Cut 1 cucumber in half lengthways. Gouge out the seeds using a teaspoon. Discard the seeds.

  3. Now cut the cucumber into thin half-moon slices. Place the slices in a bowl.

  4. Cut 1 chili in half. Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard the seeds.

  5. Chop the chili very finely. Add to the cucumber in the bowl.

  6. Now make a salad dressing by mixing 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon plain vinegar, and a pinch each of sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

  7. Add the salad dressing to the cucumber salad to taste, toss, and serve immediately.

Make the Goreng

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Goreng
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat the oil in a traditional Indonesian wadjan, regular wok, or large frying pan. Fry the onions, garlic, and bacon lardons for a few minutes until the vegetables are glazed and the bacon cooked.

    Bacon lardons
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the eggs to the wok and cook until the eggs begin to set. Now add the cooked rice (see tips below) in batches, while continuing to stir.

    Add eggs to wok
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Serve with fried eggs and thinly sliced cucumber sticks or cucumber salad.

    Eggs and cucumber
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

Tip

This recipe really is better with day-old cold rice, such as leftover rice from the takeaway meal you enjoyed the evening before. You can also make rice, especially for this dish. Here's how we cook rice:

  • Wash the rice in a sieve to get rid of starch and impurities. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add 1 1/2 cups water for every cup of pandan rice. Bring the rice to a boil in an uncovered saucepan over a medium heat. Once it boils, turn the heat down low and place a lid on the saucepan, tilting it to let the steam escape. Allow to cook until the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and use as needed. See step-by-step instructions.

Serving Suggestion

We also usually place a small bowl of sambal and a bottle of ketjap manis, that salty-sweet Indonesian soy sauce, on the table for everyone to add to taste.

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