Village-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Kampung)

Nasi goreng kampung or village-style fried rice.

5 from 3 votes

Village-Style Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Kampung)

"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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Servings: people

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Base

1 cup dried anchovies
½ onion , coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves , coarsely chopped
4 red chilies , coarsely chopped
6 green beans , cut into ½-inch length
1 thumb-sized shrimp paste , optional
2 large eggs

Main

6 ¾ cup day-old cooked rice (2 lb)
2 cup packed spinach

Seasoning

1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce

Instructions

Base

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.
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 a space to the eggs. Scramble the eggs, and once they're cooked through, mix well with the veggies.

Rice And Seasoning

Add in the rice and mix everything well. Add sugar, white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and mix.
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 enjoy!

Notes

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.
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 amount needed. 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.

Nutrition