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Recipe

Nasi goreng

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IDR 450.000per guest, shared class

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Balinese fried rice: cold steamed rice, fried base genep, sweet soy, and lime leaf in a hot wok. Not the same dish as nasi kuning.

By Chef Wayan Suryana, Warung Tumang BaliLast updated First published

Serves 2 to 3 servings·Prep 15 minutes·Cook 10 minutes

Nasi goreng in short

Balinese nasi goreng is fried rice seasoned with base genep. Fry shallot and garlic in coconut oil, fry the paste again for a minute, add cold cooked jasmine rice, then toss with kecap manis, palm sugar, and lime leaf. Serve at once with sambal matah.

A class plate of nasi goreng, sate lilit on lemongrass, corn fritters, and sambal at Warung Tumang Bali, from the Petulu class where nasi goreng is cooked
A Petulu class table with sate, banana-leaf pepes, sambal bowls, canang sari, krupuk, and coconut curry, from the Petulu class where nasi goreng is cooked

Balinese nasi goreng starts with cold steamed rice and fried base genep, not a bottled seasoning. Nasi kuning is the other rice: steamed with turmeric and coconut milk, never fried. A class day does one or the other.

Rice that has just been cooked clumps and steams in the wok. Rice that has cooled, uncovered, fries grain by grain.

Nasi goreng ingredients

  • 400g cold steamed jasmine rice, grains separated
  • 2 tablespoons fried base genep
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon kecap manis
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar
  • 2 lime leaves, sliced into threads
  • Salt, only if the rice still needs it
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • Sambal matah and cucumber, to serve

How to make nasi goreng

  1. Heat the coconut oil in a wok until it shimmers. Fry the shallot and garlic until they soften.
  2. Add the fried base genep and stir for a minute so it fries again in the oil, rather than steaming.
  3. Add the rice and break up any clumps with the edge of the spatula. Toss until the grains are hot and coated.
  4. Add kecap manis, palm sugar, and lime leaf. Toss until the color is even. Taste before you add salt. Sweet soy is already salty.
  5. Serve at once with sambal matah. Fried rice that waits under a lid sweats and turns heavy.

The wok work is the part guests do themselves after the paste is already fried. Serve it with sambal matah. If you would rather steam the rice with coconut and turmeric, follow the nasi kuning method instead. The ride out for a morning that includes this wok is the same short trip from central Ubud.

Nasi goreng questions

Why does nasi goreng need cold rice?
Freshly cooked rice clumps and steams in the wok. Rice that has cooled, uncovered, fries grain by grain.
Do I need to add salt?
Taste first. Kecap manis is already salty, and the rice often needs nothing more.
What do you serve with Balinese nasi goreng?
Sambal matah and sliced cucumber. Serve it straight from the wok, because fried rice that waits under a lid turns heavy.

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IDR 450.000per guest, shared class

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