Prawn Nasi Goreng

Name: Prawn Nasi Goreng
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 6 dried shrimp; 3 dried red chili; 4 clove garlic; ½ tsp lime zest; 1 tbsp peanut oil; 1½ lb prawn (deveined without tails); 4 cup low GI basmati rice (cooked, cooled); ½ cup fresh peas; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tbsp kecap manis; 1½ cup cabbage (shredded); 4 scallion (chopped); 1 egg (beaten)

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Prawn Nasi Goreng is a fragrant Indonesian fried rice recipe made with an aromatic spice paste using dried chili and shrimp, garlic, and lime zest. Tender, succulent prawns are stir-fried with the spice paste. The cooked rice, peas, and shredded cabbage that are added absorb the smoky notes from the hot wok. A good splash of soy sauce and kecap manis rounds out the flavors. This comfort food is topped with fried egg ribbons and chives. It is usually served with slices of cucumber, a side of sambal, or prawn crackers, adding a layer of freshness and crunch!

Having sampled variations of fried rice from Japan to Indonesia, my all-time favorite fried rice is a version that I had at a small restaurant in Bali. Even though it was decades ago, this dish still brings back happy memories of basking in an idyllic, tropical paradise, eating it on the shores of Lake Batur (Danau Batur) at the foothills of Mount Batur. What made this dish different from the other versions that I tried was the composition of the sambal terasi. Indonesian Nasi Goreng is not Indonesian if it does not have this key ingredient. By the way, the dish that I had in that restaurant in Bali kept it simple. There was rice, some tofu, and a garnish of egg ribbons. Nothing fancy but so tasteful!

What is Nasi Goreng?

Nasi Goreng is Indonesian for fried rice: nasi is ‘rice’ and goreng means ‘fried’. Once you understand that, it is natural to assume that all fried rice can be called Nasi Goreng. But that is not strictly true. Fried rice is universal throughout Asia, especially in Southeast Asia. It, therefore, follows that Cantonese fried rice is different from Thai basil fried rice, which is a world apart from Nasi Goreng. In fact, the only common bind behind all these dishes is that the ingredient is rice and the method of preparing them involves frying.

What is sambal?

Sambal is a catchall phrase that covers a variety of sauces, mostly involving some form of chili, but expands to cover a list of other ingredients, including ground dried shrimp, garlic, onions and shallots, palm sugar, and other types of sugar, galangal or ginger, and a citrus or acidic element. The phrase itself has its origins in Indonesia but has quickly expanded across Southeast and South Asia so that there is no single sambal as such.

Along with the geographical translocation, virtually every family has its own version of sambal. The sambal terasi that is used in this recipe is a combination of an heirloom sambal belacan recipe, which is a combination of my husband’s Malaysian grandmother’s recipe and the version from a little Balinese restaurant. The composition and proportions of dried shrimp paste, chilis, garlic, jaggery, salt, and of course, limes and/or lemons are completely unique.

I say this because colloquially ‘limau’ in Indonesian refers to lemons, and one can refer to different kinds of ‘limau’ based on the context of the dish. One generally uses lemons in sweeter dishes or desserts (key limes are an exception), whereas limes are more common in savories (garnishing lemons on fish and chips is an exception).

Key components in the Prawn Nasi Goreng:

The phrase ‘limau’ covers a wide variety of citrus. This brings me to the first inflection point in this recipe. While many recipes call for the use of Kaffir lime, in my opinion, nothing beats the calamansi (limau kasturi) for this dish. Calamansi is acidic and has a slightly bitter tinge, and I would describe the flavor as a mixture of lime and blood orange. The addition of calamansi, adds a completely new dimension to the flavor profile of the terasi. I used it to make the Prawn Nasi Goreng while we were living in Singapore. This is hard to find, and I did not have any kaffir lime leaves, so I added some lime zest.

The second key component of Nasi Goreng is the use of kecap manis or sweet sauce. While it is commonly sold as a soy condiment, it is not soy sauce within the general Asian cooking context, as there are different types of soy sauce. Kecap manis is distinct; it is thick and sweet. You can substitute it with hoisin sauce which consists of soybeans, five-spice powder, garlic, red chili peppers, and sugar. It presents a more authentic flavor.

The final component of a great Nasi Goreng is the rice itself. While there are many varieties of rice, the more common commercial varieties are jasmine or basmati. While both are long grain, that is where the commonality ends.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Should I use day-old rice to make Nasi Goreng?

The short answer is yes, it is preferable. When one chills the rice, it undergoes a process called retrogradation, where the chilling effect causes starch molecules to harden, creating crystalline structures that allow the rice to be recooked when frying. So if you plan on using fresh rice, please do not overcook it. Cool the rice on a tray and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Freshly overcooked rice is soft and no matter how dry the rice is, it can be mushy. Some chefs would argue that freshly cooked and chilled rice is best for fried rice, and I agree. In a nutshell, day-old rice or fresh rice that has been chilled will work as long as the rice is not too dry, mushy, or clumpy.

Can brown rice be used to make Nasi Goreng?

Brown rice is not a different rice variety, it is just unprocessed rice. White rice is brown rice that has been milled and polished, thus removing the husk, bran, and germ layers that constitute the higher fibrous content of the rice grain. While this shortens the shelf life of rice, brown rice takes longer to cook. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice because it has higher fiber content and is not processed. However, my daughter pointed out that she had researched and found that some studies show that brown rice has 80% more inorganic arsenic in its husks. The polishing process removes a large portion of this inorganic arsenic.

What is the traditional version of the Nasi Goreng?

There are similar iterations of the Prawn Nasi Goreng in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Traditionally, Nasi Goreng is made only with rice, kecap manis, and spice paste, without veggies or meat. But in Southeast Asia, this fried rice is made with protein and one or two veggies. Dried shrimp is essential to give it a more authentic taste, or else it is just fried rice and not Indonesian fried rice. The umami from the shrimp paste and the dark brown color from the kecap manis make the Nasi Goreng unique.

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Ingredients:

measured ingredients in bowls

Spice paste: dried shrimp, dried chili, garlic, and lime zest
Protein: prawns (or add shrimp or chicken)
Veggies: cabbage, peas (or add carrots)
Rice: low GI basmati (or use long grain or jasmine)
Eggs: omelet ribbons (or fried eggs with a sunny side up)
Sauce: kecap manis, soy sauce
Fat/oil: peanut oil (or use canola or sunflower oil)
Garnish: scallion, chives, cucumber (or use fried onions)

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this dish. For the measurements, please refer to the recipe card below.

How to make Prawn Nasi Goreng:

Heat a large wok, add the peanut oil, and fry the spice paste until fragrant for a minute or two.

spice paste in a wok

2. Add the cleaned shrimp, and sauté for 2 minutes on high heat.

sauteed prawn in wok with spice paste

3. Add the cooked, chilled rice and fry on high heat until the edges are charred. Add the sauces and peas. Stir-fry again for a minute and turn off the heat. Add the cabbage and mix well with white pepper.

cooked rice with peas prawn and sauce

4. Fry the beaten eggs in hot peanut oil and swirl the wok to form a thin omelet. Cut into ribbons or thin strips and keep it aside for garnish. Serve the Prawn Nasi Goreng hot, garnished with egg ribbons or fried eggs with crispy edges and slices of cucumber and scallions, chives, or fried onions over the Prawn Nasi Goreng.

Tips:

1. If you are using freshly cooked rice, then cool it on a tray for an hour before using it in the fried rice. Day-old rice or rice cooked the previous day can be used, but it tends to become dry and sometimes even chewy. So store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Rice must not be sticky and remove any clumps using a fork and chill the rice before frying.

2. Kecap manis is essential for a more authentic flavor. If you cannot find it, just take (equal quantities) a quarter cup of soy sauce and a quarter cup of coconut palm sugar with a teaspoon of molasses and mix them together. Use this as a substitute for kecap manis or substitute it with hoisin sauce.

3. Stir fry the rice and the prawns on high heat to get a slightly charred coating on the rice.

Serving suggestions:

Serve the Prawn Nasi Goreng with egg omelet ribbons or fried egg a sunny side up, cucumber slices, or an egg with the sunny side up. You could also serve it with these Indonesian salads:

Storage:

Prawn Nasi Goreng can be refrigerated for 2 days and frozen for three months in an airtight container. Reheat it by thawing at room temperature and refrying it in a hot wok, adding a little oil as needed.