Weekly Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian Egg Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)

Looking for an easy way to reinvigorate your leftovers? Fried rice is a delicious, straight-forward dish that should be a staple of your home. Of course, you don't want to just fry your takeout rice in a pan with some oil, crack and egg and call it a day. You want a heightened culinary experience that transports you to a tropical, Asian land. For that, we turn to acclaimed British chef and television star Gordon Ramsey who flew to Indonesia in search of the best damn fried rice recipe in the world.

No need to cower in fear. Ramsay isn't screaming at you in this video! Armed with left-over rice and a couple of eggs, Ramsay took to the Western Sumatran city of Pandang to cook his own version of Nasi Goreng, also known as Indonesian egg fried rice.

While the quick and high-heat method of cooking might be reminiscent of Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen moments, this recipe is anything but stressful. Approved by popular UK-based Malaysian comedian and YouTuber Nigel Ng (who goes by the online persona UncleRoger), this recipe satisfied even the toughest of online critics. Gaining popularity for reviewing British chef’s fried rice, Ramsay’s Nasi Goreng received UncleRoger’s stamp of approval.

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Utilizing traditional indonesian ingredients, from galang and sambal to rendang, this recipe is the perfect way to reinvigorate your leftovers with some authentic spice. Galang, also known as Thai ginger, is a sweeter version of the root vegetable, with a sharper, citrusy and almost piney flavor. Paired with the chillies, Ramsay aims for the perfect mix of sweet and spicy for this egg fried rice.

Sambal and rendang are both pastes Ramsay uses to add flavor to the dish. Sambal, an Indonesian chilli sauce, contains chili and shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallots, scallions, palm sugar and lime juice. This Indonesian staple can be found in most Asian markets right next to the Sriracha. Rendang, on the other hand, is a curry paste most frequently used alongside beef. This can also be found in most Asian markets.

The combination of the sweet galangal and spicy chillies gives the Indonesian staple an almost “spicy chai” feel, Ramsay says. The result? A fried rice that is fluffy, fragrant, and fun to make. Here's how to impress your family and friends without breaking a sweat.

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Ingredients:

• Leftover rice (Ramsey uses long-grain Western Sumatran rice, but feel free to use your own leftovers)
• Vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 chillies
• 1 tablespoon of sambal
• 1 tablespoon of rendang
• 1 tablespoon of sweet soy
• 1 teaspoon of galangal
• 1 bunch of chive blossoms

*Ramsay’s video has no specific measurements for the ingredients. These are all estimate approximations. Feel free to adjust to your own taste.

Special Tools:

• A whisk
• 2 woks (Ramsay uses two, but the recipe can easily be done with one)
• Grater

Preparation:

1. Chop the 3 chillies.
2. Grate about 1 teaspoon of galangal onto the chopped chillies. The idea is that both the grated galangal and its juices create a paste and mix with the chillies for a sweeter and milder spice.
3. Chop the chive blossoms and mix with the chillies and galangal paste.
4. In a small bowl, crack and beat three eggs until evenly combined.
5. Heat oil in a wok, spreading around the edges of the wok to fully cover and protect the pan. Throw out the excess oil and with a rag, carefully finish spreading the oil alongside the inside of the pan, so “it’s nice and sticky."
6. Pour fresh oil into the wok.
7. Add the chillies, galangal and chive blossoms into the wok and cook until softened.
8. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour in beaten eggs and continuously whisk to break up eggs clumps. Alternate whisking with letting the eggs set until eggs are fully cooked and scrambled.
10. (Optional) Move eggs and chillies mixture to a second, larger, wok.
11. Add the leftover rice. On high heat, spread the rice onto all parts of the wok to ensure it all fries.
12. Make a circle in the middle of the wok, pushing the rice up its sides. Add the sambal and rendang paste. Fry and then mix with rice.
13. Add any left-over proteins, whether it be chicken, beef, fish, pork, or tofu and mix.
14. Add 1 tablespoon of sweet soy.
15. Keeping heat underneath the wok, toss to prevent the rice from sticking to the sides of the wok.
16. Adjust seasoning to taste, toss it a couple more times, and serve!