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Indonesian-Inspired Fried Rice With Sambal
By: Linda Schneider
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
4 tbsp
cooking oil (such as grapeseed or peanut)
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3
eggs
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Salt
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3
scallions, sliced
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3
garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a microplane, garlic press, mortar and pestle, or side of a chef’s knife
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3 sm
shallots, finely grated with a microplane or box grater 1 to 2 tablespoons sambal, more or less to taste
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1.5 tbsp
sambal, more or less to taste
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3 c
cooked, day-old jasmine rice
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1 tbsp
kepac manis, Indonesian sweet soy sauce*
Note: You can make your own kepac manis or sweetened soy sauce by combining ¼ cup soy sauce with ¼ cup molasses and 1 whole star anise in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat, remove the star anise, and cool. Use 1 to 1½ tablespoons.
*Show Note
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For serving
Sliced cucumbers
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Sliced tomatoes
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Store-bought pickled vegetables
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Store-bought crispy shallots
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Sambal (optional)
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Indonesian-Inspired Fried Rice With Sambal

The beauty of fried rice is that it is very adaptable and is the perfect vehicle for leftovers. Don’t toss that leftover rice from last night’s dinner: When leftover rice sits in the refrigerator, it dries out a bit, meaning it’s more ideal to fry than freshly made rice. Have some leftover chicken in the fridge? Chop it up and add it to your fried rice. Vegetables you need to use up? Chop them up and add them to your fried rice, too. Last but not least, add sambal for a bit of heat. This fried rice dish is loosely based on an Indonesian (Javanese) rice dish called nasi goreng. It’s delicious and simple, consisting of stir-fried rice with a zippy flavoring paste, spiced with sambal, and finished with kepac manis (a sweet Indonesian soy sauce). It’s spicier and more assertive than your typical Chinese fried rice.

Also see: Sambal Oelek: Sriracha’s Fiery First Cousin

4 Servings

  1. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmery, crack 1 egg into the wok. Season with a pinch of salt. When the egg whites just begin to turn brown and crispy (a minute or two), carefully turn the egg over with a spatula and cook another minute until the yolk is firmly set. Remove the egg and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the wok. Return the wok to the heat.
  2. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl. Add the eggs to the hot oil over medium heat and fry until scrambled, and then break up the cooked egg with your spatula. With your spatula, move the egg to the side of the wok. Add the scallions, garlic, and shallot and fry until soft, about 1 minute. Add the sambal and the rice. Stir to incorporate, and break up any clumps. Continue stirring constantly, taking care to make sure the rice doesn’t burn. Stir and cook until the rice is heated through and coated with the oil, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and continue stirring, another 30 seconds. Taste and season accordingly, adding more sambal or soy to taste.
  3. Transfer the rice to a plate. Top with the reserved egg. Serve with sliced cucumber, sliced tomatoes, and pickled vegetables on the side of the plate. Top with crispy shallots. Serve with additional sambal, if you like.

Linda Schneider

Linda Schneider is a home cook who is obsessed with good food and all things local. Follow her adventures at Wild Greens and Sardines.

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