Nasi Goreng Image Used Under Creative Commons License From supergoldenbakes.com
Citizens, nasi goreng – literally meaning “fried rice” in Indonesian and Malay – is a meal based around stir-fried rice, typically spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, ground shrimp paste, tamarind and chili and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly egg, chicken and prawns.
Nasi goreng is sometimes described as Indonesian stir-fried rice, although it is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore and the Netherlands. It is distinguished from other Asian fried rice recipes by its aromatic, earthy and smoky flavor; owed to generous amount of caramelized sweet soy sauce and powdered shrimp paste, and the taste is stronger and spicier compared to Chinese fried rice.
Nasi goreng has been called the national dish of Indonesia, though there are many other contenders. 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.
In 2011 an online poll by 35,000 people held by CNN International chose Indonesian nasi goreng as the number two of their ‘World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods’ list after rendang!
Citizens, my version (of course) uses a homemade curry paste, in this case from the Island of Bali, as I am enamored with the use of spices there. I also add a unique twist to the recipe by using coconut water to cook the rice in, which adds an inimitable sweetness and flavor to the final dish!
For the Balinese spice paste (Base gede) – this makes more than you need for this recipe, store the remainder in the fridge or freezer:
13 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
3 red jalapeno or Fresno chilies, seeded and chopped
5cm galangal, peeled and chopped
5cm turmeric, peeled and chopped
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
½ tablespoon coriander seeds
3 candlenuts (or Macadamia or cashew nuts)
¼ tsp black peppercorns
¼ tsp white peppercorns
1 small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 cloves
1 small pinch cumin seeds
⅛ tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp belacan or shrimp paste, sauteed over medium-high heat with some oil. If you’re vegan, you can substitute oyster or mushroom sauce
¾ tsp palm sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ lime, juice only
½ stalk lemongrass, smashed with the back of a knife until pliable
1 bay or curry leaf
75ml coconut oil
***
For the Indonesian stir-fried rice:
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
375g/13¼oz shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
salt, to taste
300g/10½oz long grain rice
520ml/18¾fl oz coconut water
½ lb. green beans, trimmed, cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
20g/¾oz garlic, peeled, finely chopped
2 medium-hot red chilis, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 red bird’s-eye chili, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp ketjap manis
250g/9oz small cooked cocktail shrimp
1 tbsp light soy sauce
8 scallions, trimmed, thinly sliced
To serve:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 large eggs
¼ cucumber, sliced
2 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced
Fried Indonesian shrimp chips
spiced pickles
Instructions
For the Balinese spice paste: pound all the ingredients (except the lemongrass, bay or curry leaves, peppercorns, nutmeg, nuts and sesame seeds and the oil) in a mortar and pestle or use a blender. Add water as required to moisten. Don’t worry if it seems watery – this will cook off.
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan and add the leaves and the lemongrass and cook for a minute or so.
Add the spice mix and cook over a high heat, stirring frequently, until the excess water has evaporated and the mix is a rich golden brown color.
Cool before using and remove lemongrass and leaves.
Grind the peppercorns, nutmeg, nuts and sesame seeds to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, then add the remaining Balinese spice paste ingredients and blend to a very smooth paste.
***
For the Indonesian stir-fried rice, heat enough vegetable oil to reach 1cm/½in up the sides of a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add 175g/6¼oz of the sliced shallots and fry, stirring regularly, until the shallots are crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with a little salt, then set aside to cool. When cool, keep in an air-tight container.
Pour the rice into a heavy-based, lidded saucepan 20cm/8in in diameter. Add the coconut water and bring it quickly to the boil. Stir once, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low, until the water is barely simmering. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the grains of rice with a fork.
Spread the steamed rice onto a baking tray. Set aside to cool (but do not refrigerate).
Cook the beans in a pan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well, then refresh under cold water and set aside.
Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok (or large, deep frying pan) over a high heat, until just smoking.
Add the remaining sliced shallots, the garlic, chilis and carrot and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the carrot is just tender.
Stir in as much of the Balinese spice paste as to your taste and stir-fry for a further minute, then add the tomato purée and ketjap manis and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
Add the shrimp, cooked rice and blanched green beans and stir-fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Add the soy sauce and scallions and stir until well combined, then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside and keep warm.
Just before serving, heat the oil in a large frying pan, crack in the eggs, one at a time, and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking, spooning the hot oil over the yolks as they cook.
To serve, spoon the Indonesian stir-fried rice into the center of four plates. Sprinkle over the crisp fried shallots. Top each serving with a fried egg. Serve with baskets of prawn crackers and a plate of spiced pickles.
Category:Recipes
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