Nasi Goreng, my way

Nasi Goreng is a very popular Indonesian dish. Nasi means rice and Goreng means fried.

It can be served as a complete meal or as part of a “Rijsttafel” (Rice table).

A Rijsttafel is made up out of many different small dishes with different textures and flavors and is mostly served at special occasions.

In The Netherlands we love Indonesian food and the great thing is that you can make this dish in about half an hour. You can also serve it with Chicken Saté (Saté Ajam)

To me this is comfort food at its best. My daughter likes to eat the rice with the prawn crackers instead of a spoon, kids…haha.

Nasi is originally a dish made with leftovers. The rice has to be cooked and cooled so it won’t stick and any leftover vegetables, meat, shrimp and ham can be added.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or Arachis oil

5 oz. chicken breast

1 tsp. Soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tsp. Sambal Oelek paste, or 1 red chili finely chopped (de-seed if you want).

½ onion, peeled and diced small

1 small Leek, washed thoroughly and sliced thin

1 small red bell pepper, diced small

1 C. shredded cabbage (optional)

1 small carrot, peeled and roughly grated or tiny dice

4 oz. diced cooked ham

2 – 3 tsp. Boemboe Sate (see recipe Chicken Sate )

3 tbsp. Ketjap Manis

4 C. cooked long grain rice, cooled

To serve

- 4 fried eggs

- 1 sliced scallion

- Fried shallots, store bought

- Cucumber slices or sticks

- Krupuk (prawn crackers)

- Seroendeng (fried dried coconut and peanuts, spiced)
- Sate sauce and chicken sate (optional)

Method:

First thing to do is to cut the chicken in small dice and marinate in 1 tbsp. of Ketjap Manis and 1 tsp. of Soy sauce while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Now heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat and cook garlic and chili until fragrant, remove to a plate.

Add a little more oil to the wok and add the chicken. Cook until brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet and transfer to the plate with the garlic and chili.

Add the onion to the wok. Cook until translucent. Turn the heat to high.

Add the rest of the vegetables, the ham and the boemboe Sate. Return the chicken, garlic and chili to the wok as well.

Add rice and fry, breaking up the rice then add the sambal and more Ketjap Manis

Transfer rice to a serving platter. Sprinkle with scallions.

Fry the eggs, sunny side up, or to your liking.

Serve the rice with a fried egg on top and add garnishes.