Village-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Kampung)

Name: Village-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Kampung)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried anchovies; 1/2 onion (, coarsely chopped); 4 garlic cloves (, coarsely chopped); 4 red chilies (, coarsely chopped); 6 green beans (, cut into 1/2-inch length); 1 thumb-sized shrimp paste (, optional); 2 large eggs; 6 3/4 cup day-old cooked rice (2 lb); 2 cup packed spinach; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp less-sodium soy sauce

"Nasi Goreng Kampung," or village-style fried rice, is an incredibly unique and popular fried rice variety in Malaysia. This spicy dish is made with anchovies, giving it a delicious umami flavor. It can be cooked in less than 15 minutes, making it perfect for a quick dinner on a busy weekday.

Nasi goreng kampung served with two fried eggs.

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What Is Nasi Goreng Kampung?
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients For This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Expert Tips
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Recipe FAQs
More Stir-Fry Recipes
Watch How To Make It
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What Is Nasi Goreng Kampung?

Nasi goreng kampung served in a big bowl.

In Malay, "nasi goreng" means fried rice, while "kampung" means village. It's a famous variety of fried rice in Malaysia and Indonesia. The name came to be because it uses basic humble ingredients that the villagers back then had easy access to, like water spinach, anchovy, onion, garlic, and chilies.

It's known for its spiciness, and bird-eye chilies are typically used for the heat. This fantastic Malaysian fried rice is commonly served with slices of cucumber, tomato, fried egg, and some extra crispy fried anchovies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

As a Malaysian living in a small city in Spain, I cook all my favorite Asian meals, such as stir-fried noodles with peanut sauce, curry laksa, and Thai basil beef. I've been perfecting this dish, and here's why, biasedly, this is the best nasi goreng kampung recipe!

Unique-This Malaysian spicy fried rice is perfect for trying new flavors. It has a fantastic blend of savory and spicy. The crispy fried anchovy contrasts the texture while adding an umami factor.
Easy-Over the years, I've adapted this recipe to the available local ingredients while preserving its delicious essence, like in my beef rendang and an even easier version, my slow-cooker beef rendang.
Fast-This dish takes not more than 15 minutes to cook, faster than waiting for a food delivery, just like my 10-minute beef lo mein and easy pad Thai!
Versatile-This recipe is a fantastic way to use leftover rice, like my kimchi fried rice. It can easily be tweaked to one's preference.

Ingredients For This Recipe

Ingredients to make nasi goreng kampung.

Rice-Leftovers or day-old cooked rice. You can also cook the rice, spread it on a wide tray, and leave it to cool completely, uncovered. This will evaporate the moisture and prevent the rice from getting mushy during cooking later.

Anchovy-Dried anchovies are the key ingredient in this nasi goreng kampung. They add umami flavor to the dish and, when fried crispy, give it a fantastic contrast texture. Dried shrimp or dried salted fish also work. Although not the same, you can use smoked bacon.

Soy sauce-I love to use less sodium soy sauce because I can use more amount for flavor without having to worry about the dish being too salty. I use it in my crispy air-fryer soy sauce chicken and easy mee goreng. If using standard soy sauce, use half the amount and adjust accordingly.

Shrimp paste-It is optional but highly recommended. It does not taste fishy and adds an extra layer of umami and smokey saltiness to the fried rice. Alternatively, use 1 tablespoon of additional fish sauce or soy sauce.

Chili-It's for the heat, so use your favorite. Thai chili, bird's eye, red chili, dried cayenne pepper, and chili flakes work amazingly.

Veggies-Traditionally, water spinach is used, but it's not as easy to find. Standard spinach works beautifully instead. Alternatives for green beans can be carrots, red or any colored pepper, asparagus, or broccoli.

See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below are the detailed instructions with tutorial pictures on how to make nasi goreng kampung.

1. Fry the anchovies-Heat some oil in a wok or a pan on medium heat. Add in the anchovies and fry until they're crispy. Remove and place them on kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Set aside.

2. Saute the veggies and eggs-Using the same wok, turn the heat to medium-high, and saute the onion, garlic, chilies, and green beans until the garlic is golden brown. Add shrimp paste and break to help it dissolve, and mix. Push the veggies to one side, adding space to the eggs. Scramble the eggs, and once they're cooked through, mix well with the veggies.

3. Add the rice and seasonings-Add in the rice and mix everything well. Add sugar, white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and mix.

4. Add the spinach and anchovies-Turn the heat off. Add the spinach and mix for a few seconds until it's wilted. Last, add the fried anchovies, give everything one last mix, and your fried rice is ready!

Recipe Expert Tips

If you're going to make this recipe, follow these top tips!

Use medium-high heat. This is important so all the ingredients have the smokey stir-fry flavor, with the bonus that this whole dish cooks in less than 15 minutes, like my Penang char kway teow.
A day-old cooked rice is preferable. It has less moisture, making our fried rice not mushy.
The amount of uncooked rice is needed for this recipe. Cook 1 ¾-2 cups of rice to get the required amount. See how I cook jasmine rice without a rice cooker and make it fluffy every time.
Use veggies that don't release so much water. We want to keep the rice grains not mushy and sticky. I don't recommend using zucchini or mushrooms.
Adjust the seasonings. This fried rice is salted with dried anchovies, shrimp paste, and seasonings, so no additional salt is necessary. Adjust the seasonings to taste, as the saltiness of the anchovies and shrimp paste may vary. If you choose not to use them, add salt or more seasonings.

How To Serve, Store, And Freeze

Serve-This fantastic fried rice is often served hot with fried eggs on the side. Slices of cucumber and tomato bring freshness to the dish, and a squeeze of lime brings all the wonderful flavors together. Optional: I like to sprinkle additional fried anchovies on top for texture.

Store-This can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Freeze-Place it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge or microwave and then reheat.

Recipe FAQs

What type of rice is best for this recipe?

Day-old rice is the best because it's drier and has less moisture. Short-grain rice with low starch is ideal, although I love to use jasmine rice because we always have it in the house. Here's how I cook my jasmine rice without a rice cooker, yet have it fluffy every time.

Can I use canned anchovy fillets?

Although it's not the same, yes, you can. When cooking the veggies, use 4-5 fillets. Don't fry them as you would with dried anchovies, as the oil will splatter and cause you harm.

What can I use instead of shrimp paste?

You can use additional 1 tablespoon of fish or soy sauce.

What is the difference between nasi goreng and nasi goreng kampung?

"Nasi goreng" is fried rice in general, while "nasi goreng kampung" is a variety of fried rice that uses anchovy, water spinach, and is spicy explicitly.

A portion of fried rice served in a plate.

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