Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng, literally "fried rice" in Bahasa, is one of the best known Indonesian dishes. It's super easy to make, like most fried rice dishes, and should be a bit spicy, and just a little bit sweet. There's no one definitive recipe for nasi goreng; instead the dish is traditionally made for breakfast, using whatever bits and pieces are left over from the night before, so feel free to toss in any bits of leftover meat and vegetables you have hanging around.

Recipe

2 tsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced (optional)
handful of mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 red chillies, minced, or 1-2 tsp of sambal olek
1 tsp shrimp paste
2-3 cups cooked, cold long grain rice*
2 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce - if not available, mix 2 tsp dark soy sauce with 2 tbsp tomato ketchup)
1 small handful of cooked prawns (optional)
1 small handful of pieces of cooked chicken (optional)
1 cup peas (optional)
2-3 eggs, fried and left whole, or cooked as an omelette and cut into strips
deep fried shallots (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is almost translucent. Add the garlic, chillies and shrimp paste, and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the rice, the ketjap manis, the chicken and prawns, if using, and the peas. Stir until everything is coated and cook, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the dish is very hot.

Serve, topped with a fried egg or slices of cooked omelette, and a sprinkle of cripsy deep fried shallot if desired.

Serves: 2-3
Preparation and cooking time: 15-20 minutes

*If cooking the rice the day before, ensure it is fully cold before you refrigerate, to reduce the risk of food born illnesses.