Nasi Goreng (recipe)

Nasi Goreng (often called simply "Nasi" by Dutch people ordering takeout food) is Indonesian fried rice. Nasi means rice, and goreng means fried (this long-time assumption of mine was confirmed by Billows in August 2002).

In Indonesia, Nasi Goreng is what is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "pajama dish"---i.e. something you might munge together in your pajamas using the leftovers from last night's rijsttafel, an elaborate assortment of dishes involving many fabulous dishes served over rice. You might even eat it for breakfast (hence the fried egg served on top?), but it would be terribly rude to serve it or any other pajama dish to a guest.

The only nasi goreng recipe I know is one of the least vegetarian dishes I can imagine, involving at least three different kinds of dead animal protein as well as egg. I would be very interested in hearing of vegetarian or vegan alternatives.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw rice, cooked and cooled, or the equivalent (think leftovers)
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 3/4 pound lean pork or chicken, cubed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sambal, preferably sambal oelek
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon each laos, ketoembar (ground coriander seed), and trassi (shrimp paste). These Indonesian spices are optional if you're wussy about hot food.
• 2 leeks, cut into rings
• any veggies you have lying around that look good (optional but strongly recommended)
• 1/2 cup baby shrimp, peeled (canned work, too)
• 1 tablespoon ketjap or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery tips
• 2 or 3 big handfuls of bean sprouts (optional)
• eggs (at least as many as expected number of servings)
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 4 pickles, sliced, or atjar tjampoer
• ham for garnish

Directions:

1. If you don't have any cold leftover rice lying around, cook 2 cups of rice and let it cool.
2. If you don't have any leftover cooked meat, heat oil and brown meat quickly over high heat.
3. If you've got meat and rice ready to go, start here. Warm meat over high heat and add onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices. Sauté five minutes.
4. Add leeks and veggies; sauté another five minutes
5. Add cold rice and stirfry over high heat
6. Add shrimp, ketjap/soy sauce, and celery greens. Heat through.
7. If using bean sprouts, stir them into the mix at the last possible moment or serve on top, as with pad thai. The idea is for them to be crispy.
8. Serve the nasi garnished with ham and with fried egg (sunny-side-up, over-easy, omelet, whatever you like), sliced pickles or atjar tjampoer on the side, and sambal to taste.

Notes:

• This recipe makes around four servings, but it's really easy to expand into more by adding more veggies and rice.
• Lots of people (including the authors of the cookbook I found the recipe this evolved from) recommend serving nasi with a cold beer. Personally, I can't stand beer, but don't let that spoil your enjoyment. Update, 21 April 2011: I have come around to this way of thinking, but it took me years, so I'll try not to be prescriptive and encourage you to take or leave this suggestion, whatever's best for you.
• Another Indonesian delicacy that might enhance your nasi goreng experience is kroepoek. Try some today!