Chicken Nasi Goreng — with a Fried Egg and Kecap Manis, in 25 Minutes
Sear chicken strips, remove. Fry shallots, garlic and sambal oelek for 2 minutes, add cold day-old rice and toast 4 minutes, chicken back in, season with kecap manis and soy sauce. A fried egg per person on top, cucumber slices alongside. Kecap manis is the sweet soy sauce — it is the difference from plain fried rice.
Nasi goreng is Indonesia's national dish and has been a Swiss family classic since the fifties — the seasoning packet is in every shop. Homemade needs one ingredient not everyone knows: kecap manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce. It gives the dark colour and the sweet-salty flavour. The rest is day-old fried rice, ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600 g Rice (cooked, cold, day-old)
- 400 g Chicken breast (in strips)
- 3 pieces Shallots
- 3 pieces Garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Sambal oelek
- 3 tbsp Kecap manis
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Rapeseed oil
- 4 pieces Eggs
- 4 pieces Spring onions
- ½ piece Cucumber
- 2 pieces Tomatoes
- Salt
Method
- 1
Sear the chicken
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan until smoking. Salt the chicken and sear 3 minutes until coloured. Remove.
- 2
Flavour base
Finely chop the shallots and garlic. 1 tbsp oil, fry the shallots 2 minutes, add the garlic and sambal for 30 seconds.
- 3
Rice
Break up the rice, into the pan, press flat and toast 4 minutes, turning only twice. Chicken back in, add the kecap manis and soy sauce, toss 1 minute until the rice is dark and glossy.
- 4
Fried eggs
In a second pan fry four eggs in the remaining oil, yolks still soft, edges crisp.
- 5
Serve
Rice onto plates, a fried egg on each, spring onion rings over. Cucumber and tomato slices alongside — the coolness is part of it. Sambal for those who want it hotter.
Tips
- Kecap manis is at Coop, Migros and any Asian shop for about 4 CHF — a bottle lasts months. Sambal oelek sits next to it. Both belong in the store cupboard if you cook Asian food often.
- The classic toppings: crispy fried onions from a packet, krupuk (prawn crackers) and peanuts. With krupuk it is the best meal of the week for children.
- Yesterday's leftovers — grilled chicken, pork roast, prawns — instead of fresh chicken: add only with the rice, just to heat through.
What can I substitute?
Close to the original. Simmer soy sauce with sugar in a small pan for 1 minute until syrupy.
Fry prawns 2 minutes. Fry tofu 5 minutes until crisp — the vegetarian version, just as filling with the egg.
For children leave out entirely and put sambal on the table.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between nasi goreng and fried rice?
Kecap manis, sambal and shallots. The sweet soy sauce gives nasi goreng its dark colour and sweet-spicy taste; Chinese fried rice is paler and saltier. And nasi goreng always comes with a fried egg and cucumber.
Why does nasi goreng need day-old rice?
Because fresh rice is too moist and turns to mush in the pan. Rice from the fridge is dry, the grains stay separate and toast. Emergency fix: spread freshly cooked rice flat and freeze for 30 minutes.
Is nasi goreng suitable for children?
Very — sweet rice with a fried egg is popular with most children. Leave out the sambal and put it on the table. The seasoning packet is usually milder than this recipe, but also saltier.
How much does nasi goreng cost per person?
About 3 CHF per person with Swiss chicken. With tofu or leftovers, under 2 CHF. Kecap manis and sambal are one-off purchases that last months.
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