Nasi goreng facts for kids
Nasi goreng is a very popular and tasty dish from Indonesia. It is a special kind of fried rice. The name "Nasi goreng" comes from the Malay language. Nasi means "rice" and goreng means "to fry".
People often eat Nasi goreng for breakfast. It is also a favorite late-night meal, often sold by street vendors. You can find it almost everywhere in Indonesia. It is also very popular in nearby countries like Malaysia and Singapore. In 2011, CNN International even called Nasi goreng the second most delicious food in the world!
Contents
What's in Nasi Goreng?
There isn't just one way to make Nasi goreng, as there are many different types. But some ingredients are almost always included:
- Cooked rice
- Kecap manis (a sweet soy sauce)
- Salt
- Garlic
- Chilli pepper
- Fried onions
- Carrot
- Egg
- Chicken
Often, slices of cucumber, tomato, and lettuce are added to make the dish look nice. Eggs can be mixed into the rice while cooking or served on top as a fried egg.
Usually, Nasi goreng comes with side dishes like acar and krupuk. Acar is a pickle made from cucumber, carrot, and small chilli peppers. Krupuk are crispy, deep-fried prawn crackers.
The Secret Ingredient: Kecap Manis
Even though many different things can be added to Nasi goreng, one ingredient is super important: kecap manis. This sweet soy sauce gives Nasi goreng its special flavor. It's what makes it different from other types of fried rice you might find in Asia.
Other sauces, like ikan asin (salted dried fish) or saus tiram (oyster sauce), can also be added. The amount of sambal (chilli sauce) used decides how spicy the Nasi goreng will be. You can add sambal while cooking or put it on your plate when you eat, depending on how much spice you like!
Different Kinds of Nasi Goreng
The taste of Nasi goreng can change depending on where it's made. Here are a few examples of different types:
- Nasi goreng Bali: This version is cooked in Bali.
- Nasi goreng seafood: This includes tasty seafood like shrimp, fish, and squid.
- Nasi goreng satay: This comes with satay, which are seasoned and grilled meat chunks often served with peanut sauce.
People often add whatever ingredients they think will taste good with the rice.
- Nasi goreng variants
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Nasi goreng with chicken, egg and prawn cracker
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Nasi goreng with shrimp and egg, typical Indonesian breakfast
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Nasi goreng with chicken and egg in Bali
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Nasi goreng with salted fish and egg
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Red nasi goreng in Rantepao, South Sulawesi
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Nasi goreng-chicken satay combo, a popular Indonesian dish for visitors
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Nasi goreng "Chinese style" in Jakarta
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Nasi goreng "Hong Kong style" in Mataram, Lombok
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Mushroom nasi goreng in Yogyakarta
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Nasi goreng seafood in Sandakan, Sabah, East Malaysia
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Nasi goreng with green stinky beans and goat meat in Jakarta.
Images for kids
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A woman cooking nasi goreng in Indonesia.
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Nasi goreng with green stinky beans and goat meat in Jakarta.
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Cooking nasi goreng kambing (fried rice with goat meat) in bulk in Kebon Sirih area, Central Jakarta.
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A cook making nasi goreng in a food market in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
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Nasi goreng in Singapore
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Sri Lankan nasi goreng served with a fried egg
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Javanese-Surinamese nasi goreng in the Netherlands.
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A street vendor cooking nasi goreng in his cart in Jakarta.
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Nasi goreng breakfast in a hotel in Solo, Central Java, with papaya juice and Java black coffee.
See also
In Spanish: Nasi goreng para niños
