Malaysian
Nasi Goreng Kampung (Village Fried Rice)
Fry ikan bilis until crisp, fry a pounded paste of shallots, garlic, chillies and belacan, scramble in eggs, then toss in day-old rice and water spinach over high heat; about 30 minutes for 2.
Nasi goreng kampung is the fried rice of the Malay village kitchen: day-old rice fried hard in a wok with a pounded paste of shallots, garlic, chillies and toasted belacan, plus crunchy fried anchovies and water spinach. It is salty, smoky and spicy rather than saucy, and it is ready in the time it takes the wok to heat. Make it with rice cooked the day before, so the grains stay separate.
- Serves 2
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Total: 30 min
Ingredients
- 600 g cooked rice, a day old and chilled
- 30 g dried anchovies (ikan bilis), rinsed and patted dry
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 shallots, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 bird's eye chillies
- 2 red chillies, deseeded
- 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
- 2 eggs
- 100 g kangkung (water spinach), cut into 4 cm lengths
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced, to serve
- 2 fried eggs, to serve (optional)
Method
- Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no lumps.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the anchovies for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp. Lift out half of them for the garnish and leave the rest in the wok.
- Pound or blend the shallots, garlic, both chillies and the belacan to a coarse paste. Add it to the wok and fry for 3 minutes, until fragrant and the oil turns red.
- Push the paste to one side, crack in the eggs and scramble them for 30 seconds until just set.
- Turn the heat to high. Add the rice and toss everything together for 3–4 minutes, pressing the rice against the hot wok so it toasts and every grain is coated in the paste.
- Add the water spinach stems first, then the leaves, with the soy sauce, salt, sugar and white pepper. Toss for 1 minute more, until the leaves have just wilted.
- Serve hot with the reserved anchovies on top, cucumber slices on the side and a fried egg, if using.
Tips
- Fresh rice: if you only have freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for 1 hour first, or it will turn mushy.
- With fish: many cooks add flaked fried mackerel (ikan kembung). Fry 1 small fish, flake the flesh and toss it in with the rice in step 5.
- No water spinach: use the same weight of choy sum or long beans cut into short lengths.
- Milder: leave out the bird's eye chillies and keep only the deseeded red chillies.
Questions
What makes nasi goreng kampung different from other fried rice?
It is seasoned with a pounded paste of chillies, shallots, garlic and belacan rather than sauces, and it always has crunchy fried anchovies and water spinach.
Why should I use day-old rice?
Cold, day-old rice is drier, so the grains stay separate and toast in the wok. Fresh rice turns soft and sticky.
Can I make it without belacan?
Yes, but it will taste less savoury. Add an extra pinch of salt and a few more anchovies to make up for it.
How can I make it less spicy?
Leave out the bird's eye chillies and use only the deseeded red chillies.
Is this nasi goreng kampung halal?
The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: check that the belacan, dried anchovies and soy sauce carry halal certification, since some sauces contain alcohol.
A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.