Nasi goreng

Nasi goreng (English pronunciation: /ˌnɑːsi ɡɒˈrɛŋ/), (Indonesian and Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added. It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a meal including stir-fried rice in a small amount of cooking oil or margarine, typically spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, ground shrimp paste, tamarind and chilli and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly egg, chicken and prawns.

Nasi goreng is sometimes described as Indonesian stir-fried rice, in other sources, it is also referred to as Malaysian fried rice. The dish is widely enjoyed in various parts of Southeast Asia, including in Brunei and Singapore, where it holds cultural significance comparable to that in Indonesia and Malaysia. Nasi goreng has expanded beyond its regional origins, gaining popularity in Sri Lanka due to Indonesian culinary influences, as well as in Suriname and the Netherlands through Indonesian immigrant communities.

It is distinguished from other Asian fried rice recipes by its aromatic, earthy and smoky flavor, owed to generous amounts of caramelised sweet soy sauce and powdered shrimp paste. Its taste is also typically stronger and spicier than that of Chinese fried rice.

Nasi goreng has been called the national dish of Indonesia, though there are many other contenders. It can be enjoyed in simple versions from a tin plate at a roadside food stall, eaten on porcelain in restaurants, or collected from the buffet tables of Jakarta dinner parties.

In 2011 an online poll by 35,000 people held by CNN International chose Indonesian nasi goreng as number two on their 'World's 50 Most Delicious Foods' list after rendang.