This vegan nasi goreng is made with veggies, fried rice flavored with sweet soy sauce, and savory tempeh. It's such a delicious and satisfying meal that's also really easy to make!
There's fried rice, and then there's nasi goreng. If you've never had nasi goreng, you are in for one heck of a treat!
Nasi goreng is an Indonesian fried rice dish, and it's also one of the most delicious fried rice dishes. It's sweet and smoky, and gets served with fresh veggies, making it a fun and summery meal. If you're a fan of my other fried rice recipes, like my pineapple fried rice, curry fried rice, or basil fried rice, you will absolutely love this vegan nasi goreng.
Traditional nasi goreng is served with a fried egg, which we're obviously skipping since ours is vegan. Instead, we're adding protein with some pan-fried tempeh, another favorite Indonesian food.
This meal is absolutely satisfying and so flavor-packed. It's also really easy, great for using up leftover rice, and can be on the table in about a half hour!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegetable oil. You can use any neutral high-heat oil that you like to cook with. Corn, canola, and peanut oil are all good options.
- Tempeh. If tempeh is a new ingredient to you, read up on it in my guide to tempeh. If you're not a fan of tempeh, feel free to leave it out or substitute with tofu.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted for this if needed.
- Kecap manis. This is also known as sweet soy sauce. It's thick and syrupy and more sweet than salty. You can get it at an Asian market, or online.
- Sambal oelek. This is an Asian chili paste that we'll be using to add heat to our vegan nasi goreng. Feel free to skip it for a milder dish, or substitute with sriracha if that's easier to get ahold of.
- Red bell pepper.
- Shallots.
- Carrot.
- Garlic.
- Cooked rice. Fried rice recipes generally work best with rice that was cooked a day or two in advance, and this one is no exception. Leftover rice is a bit dried out, so it crisps up better during frying! Most varieties of long grain rice will work. I used jasmine rice. Basmati rice is another popular choice when making nasi goreng.
- Frozen peas.
- Scallions. You might also call these green onions.
- Cucumber slices.
- Tomato slices.
- Lime wedges.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Do all of your prep work before you begin cooking. Chop your tempeh and veggies, mince your garlic, thaw the peas, and mix all of your sauces up. You'll want all of your ingredients to be ready to go when you need them.
Tip: If you're not normally a fan of the flavor of tempeh, give this a try: steam your tempeh before you cook with it. Steaming mellows out tempeh's natural bitter flavors. You might find that you like it this way!
Heat some oil in a wok, then add diced tempeh. Cook the tempeh for a few minutes to brown the pieces, then drizzle them with soy sauce. Continue cooking them until the sauce dries up, then take them out of the wok.
Turn up the heat and add some more oil to the wok. Once the oil has had a chance to heat up, add diced bell pepper, sliced shallot, and diced carrots. Stir-fry the veggies for a few minutes, until they become tender-crisp.
Push the vegetables to the side, then add minced garlic to the wok. Sauté it briefly, being super careful not to burn it.
Now add your cooked rice and to the wok, then pour the sauces over the rice.
Stir-fry the rice and veggies together, constantly flipping and stirring them, until the rice starts to get crispy.
Return the cooked tempeh to the wok, and add the peas and scallions. Stir everything up then take the wok off of heat.
Your nasi goreng is ready! Give it a quick taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Garnish each plate with some sliced cucumber, tomatoes, and lime wedges. Give those lime wedges a little squeeze to get some juice on your dish before you dig in! YUMMO!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan nasi goreng will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. You can reheat it in the microwave, or in a wok or skillet on the stove.
More Tempeh Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Nasi Goreng
Ingredients
For the Tempeh
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (8 ounce/227 gram) package tempeh, diced (about ½ inch)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
For the Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more to taste (Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium shallot, sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups cooked rice (Note 2)
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 scallions, sliced
For Serving
- Cucumber slices
- Tomato slices
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Cook the Tempeh
- Coat the bottom of a large wok or skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook it for about 8 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice, until browned.
- Drizzle the tempeh with the soy sauce, gently flipping the pieces so they're coated with soy sauce. Cook the tempeh for another minute or two, until most of the liquid has dried up.
- Remove the tempeh from the pan and transfer it to a plate.
Make the Fried Rice
- Stir the soy sauce, kecap manis, and sambal oelek together in a small bowl.
- Add the remaining oil to the wok and raise the heat to medium-high. Give the oil a minute to heat up.
- Add the bell pepper, shallot, and carrot to the wok. Stir-fry the vegetables for about two minutes, until the shallots are soft and the carrots and pepper have brightened in color and become tender-crisp.
- Add the garlic to the wok and sauté it very briefly, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the cooked rice to the wok, then pour the sauce mixture over the rice. Quickly combine the ingredients and stir-fry the rice for about 2 minutes, constantly stirring and flipping it, until it becomes crispy in spots.
- Stir in the cooked tempeh, peas, and scallions, then remove the wok from heat.
To Serve
- Divide the fried rice mixture onto plates and serve with cucumber, tomato, and lime slices.
Notes
- I like this recipe best with three tablespoons, but I also tend to like things salty. Start with two, taste-test, and add more when the fried rice is almost done.
- This recipe works best with leftover rice that's been in the refrigerator for a day or two. Use it cold, straight from the fridge.
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