Weeknight Nasi Goreng with Fried Eggs and Crispy Shallots

⏱ 30 min · Serves 4

Smoky, savoury Indonesian fried rice built on a quick chilli-garlic paste and sweet kecap manis. Cold leftover rice is the secret to those separate, slightly chewy grains — crown each bowl with a runny-yolked fried egg and a shower of crispy shallots.

Per serving: 650 kcal · 38.0g protein · 62.0g carbs · 29.0g fat

Ingredients

• 600g cooked long-grain rice, cold (ideally cooked the day before)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp for the eggs
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 shallots, peeled (2 for the paste, 1 thinly sliced)
• 2 red chillies, deseeded if you prefer less heat
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi) or 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 250g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 1cm pieces
• 150g raw peeled prawns (optional)
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 100g green beans, cut into 2cm lengths
• 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cucumber, sliced, to serve
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots (shop-bought is fine)
• Salt and white pepper

Method

1. Pound or blitz the garlic, 2 shallots, chillies and shrimp paste into a rough paste with a splash of oil. Set aside.
2. Break up the cold rice with your hands so there are no clumps. Slice the remaining shallot thinly.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the chicken with a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes until golden, add the prawns if using and cook 1 minute more, then scoop everything onto a plate.
4. Add the last 1 tbsp oil to the wok, turn heat to medium and fry the paste for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and darkened. Add the sliced shallot and green beans, stir-fry 2 minutes.
5. Turn the heat to high, tip in the rice and toss for 3-4 minutes, pressing it against the wok so it catches slightly.
6. Add kecap manis, light soy, sugar and a good pinch of white pepper. Toss until every grain is glossy and brown. Return the chicken and prawns with the spring onions, toss 1 minute, then taste and adjust with more soy or salt.
7. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs until the whites are crisp at the edges and the yolks still runny.
8. Divide the rice between four bowls, top each with a fried egg, scatter with crispy shallots and serve with cucumber slices and lime wedges.