Nasi goreng

Nasi goreng
Indonesian nasi goreng – fried rice with egg, krupuk (traditional cracker) and pickles.
Alternative namesIndonesian fried rice (English)
CourseMain course
Region or stateNationwide in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei; also popular in Southern Thailand, Sri Lanka, Suriname and the Netherlands
Associated cuisineIndonesia,[1] Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
Created byThe Chinese diaspora in Malay Archipelago
Main ingredientsFried rice with meats, vegetables and spices, usually seasoned with sweet soy sauce
VariationsRich variations across the respective region

Nasi goreng (English pronunciation: /ˌnɑːsi ɡɒˈrɛŋ/), Malay lit. 'fried rice',[2][3] is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added.[4] It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a meal including stir fried rice in a small amount of cooking oil or margarine, typically spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, ground shrimp paste, tamarind and chilli and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly egg, chicken and prawns. There is also another kind of nasi goreng which is made with ikan asin (salted dried fish) which is also popular across Indonesia. Nasi goreng is sometimes described as Indonesian stir-fried rice,[5][6] although it is also popular in Southeast Asia. Beyond the Malay Archipelago, it has gained popularity through Indonesian influence in Sri Lanka[7] and via Indonesian immigrant communities in Suriname[8] and the Netherlands.[9] It is distinguished from other Asian fried rice recipes by its aromatic, earthy and smoky flavor, owed to generous amount of caramelised sweet soy sauce and powdered shrimp paste, and the taste is stronger and spicier compared to Chinese fried rice.[10]

Nasi goreng has been called the national dish of Indonesia,[1][11][12] though there are many other contenders. It can be enjoyed in simple versions from a tin plate at a roadside food stall, eaten on porcelain in restaurants, or collected from the buffet tables of Jakarta dinner parties.[13]

In 2011 an online poll by 35,000 people held by CNN International chose Indonesian nasi goreng as number two on their 'World's 50 Most Delicious Foods' list after rendang.[14]

  1. ^ a b Media, Kompas Cyber. "Kemenpar Tetapkan 5 Makanan Nasional Indonesia, Ini Daftarnya". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  2. ^ "nasi goreng | Indonesian to English Translation – Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Indonesian Living Dictionary. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Malay Dictionary Online Translation LEXILOGOS >>".
  4. ^ "nasi goreng Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  5. ^ Andrea Chesman (1998). 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains. Penguin. ISBN 9781101075746.
  6. ^ Stein, Rick. "Indonesian stir-fried rice (Nasi goreng)". BBC Food Recipes. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ^ Jayani Senanayake (1 January 2016). "Who doesn't like Nasi Goreng?". peckishme.com.
  8. ^ "Indonesian rice dishes from the Surinam cuisine". tropilab.com.
  9. ^ Ena Scheerstra (30 October 2012). "Dutch East Indian Nasi Goreng". Honest Cooking.
  10. ^ "A Bowl of Rice". The Patterned Plate. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Nasi Goreng: Indonesia's mouthwatering national dish". Archived from the original on 6 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  12. ^ Watson, Todd (20 July 2013). "Indonesian cuisine: An unduly underappreciated taste". Inside Investor. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  13. ^ Crossette, Barbara (6 July 1986). "Fare of The Country; Spicy Staple of Indonesia". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  14. ^ "World's 50 Most Delicious Foods". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.