The goodness of kampung fried rice
Did you know that there are over a million varieties of fried rice around the world? Ok, that might be an exaggeration but we reckon you can probably go a year without cooking the same style of fried rice twice. Take this classic fried rice dish we’re sharing with you today for instance – kampung fried rice, or village fried rice, or nasi goreng kampung. You’re bound to find different styles of kampung fried rice from village to village, restaurant to restaurant, and even house to house.
We’ve had them maddeningly spicy, lightly or dark coloured, topped with fried anchovies or shallots, with beef, chicken or prawn, lots of vegetables, hardly any, and well, you get the idea. There’s no real right or wrong or correct village fried rice recipe, as long as it tastes good, everyone will enjoy whatever twist or spin you choose to put on it.
But before you start going all experimental and complex it’s good to perfect your basics first. We’ve put together a simple yet solid village fried rice recipe that is sure to whet your appetite and awaken your tastebuds. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 7 cups cooked rice, cold
- 200g sliced beef
- 1 cup stink beans, halved
- 4 tbsp sweet soya sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 3 tbsp + 5 tbsp cooking oil
Aromatics
- 12 shallots
- 12 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp boh chili
Method: fried rice
- Using a food processor, blend and mix aromatic ingredients until fine.
- Heat and season your wok by wiping a thin layer of oil around it with a paper towel. You will know your wok is hot enough when the layer of oil has dried up and the wok seems to glow.
- Add 3 tablespoons cooking oil. If your wok is hot enough, the oil will be sufficiently hot in a few seconds. Otherwise, let it reach a temperature of 180°C to 200°C.
- Next, add aromatic mixture and fry until it has darkened and the oil has separated and risen to the top (aka pecah minyak).
- Add the beef and stink beans and stir until the beef is cooked.
- Turn down the heat to low and add in rice, followed by sweet soy sauce and salt. Using two ladles, mix thoroughly to coat the rice and distribute the ingredients evenly. Don’t toss or flip the rice… yet.
- Turn the heat back up to high and fry the rice thoroughly, stirring and flipping the rice as you go, for about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the rice to a serving dish.
Method: fried egg
- Using a clean wok, add 5 tablespoons of cooking oil once the wok is sufficiently hot.
- Break an egg into a bowl and slide it into the hot oil to fry. As it cooks, flip some hot oil over the egg to get it to cook evenly. Remove the eggs once they’ve reached a doneness that you like. We recommend crispy edges with a soft yolk. Cook the eggs one by one.
- Serve your kampung fried rice with a fried egg and your favourite sambal on the side.
Extra tips
- ‘Separate’ your cold cooked rice grains before cooking. You can do this by using your fingers to break down any clumps.
- Feel free to fry up more eggs if you want more than one for yourself.
Simple, delicious and great for serving a large group of friends and family. Give the recipe a try and if you decide to put your spin on this classic, show us what you made by hashtagging us with #butterkicap.
P/S: Want a healthier option? Get the recipe here!
