Nasi Goreng Mawut - fried rice and noodles with vegetables

Ingredients

• 300 gcooked rice
• 75 gcooked egg noodles
• 150 gchicken fillet
• 75 gcabbage
• 75 gbean sprouts
• 75 gcaisim (choy sum)
• 75 gcarrot
• 1 tbspkecap manis
• ½ tsppalm sugar
• 2 tspsalt
• As needed; use 2 tbsp for frying the spice pasteoil
• 3red chillies
• 4red bird’s-eye chillies
• 4shallots
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 4 tbsp, soakeddried shrimp
• 2 tbspfried shallots
• As neededemping crackers

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare vegetables

   Finely shred the cabbage, cut the carrot into julienne strips and slice the choy sum into 1 cm pieces. Pound or grind the chillies, shallots, garlic and soaked dried shrimp into a paste.

2. 2

   Cook chicken

   Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until browned and cooked through. Pull it apart into pieces and set aside.

3. 3

   Fry the paste

   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the spice paste for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Cook vegetables

   Add the cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts and choy sum. Stir-fry until softened.

5. 5

   Add rice noodles

   Mix in the cooked rice, followed by the cooked noodles.

6. 6

   Season and finish

   Stir in the kecap manis, salt and palm sugar, then mix in the chicken. Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve with emping crackers.

What is nasi goreng mawut?

Nasi goreng means fried rice in Indonesian, while mawut is a mixed-up combination: rice and noodles share the pan. The dish is associated with East Java, where it is commonly made as a hearty, flexible meal.

This version combines chicken and a generous mix of vegetables with a sweet-savoury kecap manis seasoning. Fried shallots and emping add a crisp contrast at the end.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The rice and noodles provide most of the carbohydrates, while the oil and kecap manis contribute fat and sugars; chicken and dried shrimp provide protein. For a more balanced plate, serve a generous portion of the vegetable mixture and add cucumber or tomato on the side.

Build the spice paste

Chillies: the red chillies and bird’s-eye chillies provide the heat, while shallots and garlic round out the paste. Adjusting the amount of bird’s-eye chilli is the simplest way to make the dish milder.

Dried shrimp: soaking it before grinding helps it blend into the paste and brings a savoury, seafood depth to the seasoning.

Get the vegetables ready

Even cuts: thin cabbage, julienned carrot and 1 cm choy sum pieces cook quickly and are easy to mix through the rice and noodles.

Bean sprouts: keep them ready to add with the other vegetables, so they soften in the pan without needing a separate cooking step.

Cook in stages

Chicken first: fry the fillet until browned and cooked through, then pull it apart and set it aside. This keeps the chicken ready to mix in at the end.

Paste and vegetables: fry the paste for the stated 5 minutes before adding the vegetables. Stir-fry until they soften, then add the rice and noodles in sequence.

Mix rice and noodles

Cooked rice and cooked noodles are both needed for this dish. Add the rice before the noodles, as the method specifies, and mix carefully so both are coated with the paste and seasoning.

Add the kecap manis, salt and palm sugar before returning the chicken to the pan. This lets the sweet-savoury seasoning spread through the mixture.

Serve with a crisp finish

Fried shallots go over the top just before serving, where they provide a savoury crunch. Serve the emping alongside so the crackers keep their crisp texture.

The recipe is a full meal as written; fresh sliced cucumber or tomato can be served on the side if you want a cool contrast.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use fully cooked rice and noodles before you start stir-frying.
• Cut the vegetables before heating the pan so they can be added together without delay.
• Fry the spice paste for the full 5 minutes before adding the vegetables.
• Pull the cooked chicken into pieces so it mixes evenly through the rice and noodles.
• Add the fried shallots and emping at the end to preserve their crunch.

Variations

• Milder heat: use fewer bird’s-eye chillies in the spice paste.
• More vegetables: increase the cabbage, carrot or choy sum while keeping the same cooking order.
• No chicken: leave it out for a vegetable version, noting that the dish will have less protein.
• Extra crunch: serve additional emping on the side.
• Rice-only version: replace the noodles with more cooked rice, while keeping the other ingredients and method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding raw rice: use cooked rice as specified so it can be mixed into the stir-fry.
• Skipping the soak: soak the dried shrimp before grinding so it blends into the paste.
• Cutting vegetables unevenly: keep the carrot julienned and choy sum in 1 cm pieces for more even cooking.
• Adding vegetables before the paste is fried: fry the paste for 5 minutes first to follow the method and develop its flavour.
• Mixing in the garnish early: add the fried shallots and serve the emping at the end to keep them crisp.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot in a pan, stirring regularly; keep the emping separate and add it when serving.

Frequently asked questions