Malaysian Fried Rice With Shrimp and Belacan Recipe

Name: Malaysian Fried Rice With Shrimp and Belacan Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried shrimp; 4 tablespoons cooking oil; ½ cup diced string beans; 2 tablespoons belacan or dried shrimp paste; 4 cups day-old rice; 1 egg, lightly beaten; Salt to taste

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

21 ratings

Write a Review

Add a comment

Belacan fried rice is one of the simplest fried rice recipes that you can find. How good it is (how complex the flavors are) depends largely on the quality of the shrimp paste used.

As with any fried rice dish, it is best to use day-old rice which has dried out a bit. If the rice is still wet, the fried rice will turn out soggy no matter how long you stir-fry it. Long-grain rice is ideal for fried rice.

The string beans can be substituted with celery or French beans—in fact, any crunchy, non-leafy vegetable will do just as well.

"This wonderful fried rice came together very quickly. It was extremely flavorful, and I loved the combination of dried shrimp and belacan. I served this as a side dish but could easily have had this as a main instead. I’ll definitely make this again and top it with lots of thinly sliced scallions." —Diana Andrews

Malaysian Fried Rice with Shrimp or Belacan Recipe/Tester Image

1/2 cup dried shrimp
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup diced string beans
1 tablespoon belacan, or dried shrimp paste
4 cooked rice, day-old
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt, to taste

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Place the dried shrimp in a shallow bowl. Pour in just enough water to cover. Leave to soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until fully rehydrated.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Drain and set aside.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
In a wok or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoonful of cooking oil. Stir-fry the diced string beans over high heat for a minute or two, just until a bit underdone. Scoop out and set aside.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Crumble or chop the belacan as finely as you can.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of cooking oil into the pan. Fry the dried shrimp and the belacan together, stirring continuously.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
When the dried shrimp turn crispy and slightly brown, and the belacan smells fragrant, add the rice and partially cooked string beans. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the rice is heated through.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Push the fried rice to the sides of the pan to make a well in the center. Pour in the beaten egg. Stir the egg in a circular motion until set at the bottom but still very wet on top.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Incorporate the egg into the rice by stirring in a spiral with the circle getting wider until the egg has been mixed into the rice.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Turn off the heat. Taste the fried rice. Add salt, if needed. Stir a few more times before serving.

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Tip

This fried rice is delicious served with some diced bird's eye chiles in soy sauce and sliced raw cucumbers.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
215	Calories
16g	Fat
13g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	215
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	20%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 76mg	25%
Sodium 637mg	28%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg	8%
Calcium 31mg	2%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 78mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.