Chef Rizqi from Unilever Food Solutions shares his secrets on creating mouth-watering nasi goreng – from choosing the best rice to mixing spices – in order to make a uniquely delicious dish.
The secret to making delicious nasi goreng is finally revealed below:
- Use the right rice. Long-grain rice is better as the grains do not stick together, unlike some short-grain versions such as glutinous rice. If only glutinous rice is available, cook it in less water to reduce its stickiness.
- Use cold rice (or rice at room temperature). Don’t use freshly-cooked rice as it will stick to the pan.
- Make sure to use the right amount of ingredients. Add more onion than garlic and chilli pepper. Add shrimp paste (terasi) after the terasi is burned, or add ebi fry (a Japanese fried shrimp or prawn dish) if you like.
- Stir-fry the spice mix to make it last longer. You can prepare and cook batches of the spice mix for later use in order to save time.
- Use the correct balance of ingredients. For 200g of rice, use 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the spice mix. Add enough kecap – such as Bango Kecap Manis – to make the colour of the fried rice more attractive.
- If you want to use meat such as beef or lamb, cook the meat first to make it soft.
- Use a carbon steel wok instead of a Teflon-coated wok to retain the aroma. However, more foods are prone to stick to a carbon steel wok, so make sure that the wok is hot enough before you stir fry the spices. After heating the wok, add vegetable oil to it and then fry the eggs for your fried rice.
- Use a gas stove that has a burner control knob. Keep the heat low when you add rice and kecap. Use a larger flame only when you have added all ingredients to the wok.
Here’s how to give your nasi goreng a unique flavour:
- Add sesame oil or soy sauce to give your dish a surprisingly delicious flavour. Use half of Blue Band Master Margarine 2kg to produce better aroma.
- Modify the spices. Add some local spices that are usually used for Rawon or Lamongan dishes for a unique twist.
- To make the dish healthier, you can also use brown rice instead of white and use low fat meat such as skinless chicken, fish or low cholesterol eggs.
- To give your nasi goreng a delicious seafood flavour and aroma, you can use Knorr Oyster Flavoured Sauce. Use Knorr Rostip for a strong flavour of chicken and garlic, and Knorr Beef Powder Bouillon for a more intense beef flavour. Also, using Knorr Chicken Seasoning Powder (Hong Kong Recipe) will give your fried rice that signature Chinese taste.
Here are some ways to make your fried rice look more appealing:
- Mold the rice into an interesting shape (using square, round or triangle molds).
- Add some pickles and a sunny-side up egg.
- Put the fried rice on a banana leaf to emphasise a distinctly local look.
You should also consider giving your fried rice a unique name that stimulates people’s appetite, and it might just become the unique selling point of your restaurant.
