COUNTRY:                           INDONESIA

DISH:                                     NASI GORENG (Indonesian Fried Rice)

CONTRIBUTED BY:            Umi M. Al Farisi, Spouse to the Ambassador                               

 

Nasi goreng is an Indonesian national dish and has been choosen by CNN as one of the world most delicious food in the world. There are many countries that owned fried rice, but Indonesian fried rice/  Nasi goreng is by its aromatic, earthy and smoky flavour; owed to generous amount of caramelized Indonesian sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste. Indonesian Nasi Goreng taste is stronger and spicier compared to other fried rice.

It can be enjoyed in simple versions from a tin plate at a roadside food stall, eaten on porcelain in restaurants, or collected from the buffet tables of Jakarta dinner parties. Nasi goreng often includes crackers, fried shallots or fried onions to give a crispier texture.

 

Ingredients

300g long-grain rice

3 tbsp vegetable oil

4 large eggs, beaten

100g fine green beans, cut in half

180g pack large raw peeled prawns

200g shallots, thinly sliced

20g garlic, finely chopped

2 medium-hot red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

1 red bird’s-eye chilli, sliced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp indonesian sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

8 spring onions, thinly sliced

 

To serve

½ cucumber, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

4 tbsp crispy fried onions

prawn crackers

 

Method

  1. Put the rice in a medium heavy-based saucepan and add 520ml water. Quickly bring to the boil, stir once and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 mins. Uncover, fluff up with a fork and spread over a tray. Set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in the beaten egg and, as it begins to cook, use a spatula to bring large flakes of cooked egg into the middle of the omelette. Continue to cook like this for a couple of mins, then leave the rest of the egg to set completely. Flip the omelette over and transfer to a plate to cool before cutting it into long, thin shreds.
  3. Drop the beans into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 mins. Drain, refresh under cold water and set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining oil in a wok or large, deep frying pan until almost smoking. Add the chicken and prawns, and stir-fry for 1 min. Tip in the shallots, garlic, chillies and carrots, and stir-fry for a further 2 mins until the carrot is just tender. Add the spice paste and stir-fry for 1 min more. Add the tomato purée, kecap manis, cooked rice and green beans, and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 mins. Add the soy sauce, spring onions and shredded omelette, and toss together.
  5. Spoon the nasi goreng onto warmed plates. Overlap the cucumber and tomato on the side of each plate, sprinkle over the crispy fried onions and serve with prawn crackers.