Travel the World Through Food (6): Indonesian Nasi Goreng

Born out of the traditional Chinese belief that it's wrong to waste food deliberately, Nasi Goreng literally translates to "fried rice", as that's exactly what the dish is. The basic recipe begins with sautéing in oil a coarse purée of onions, ginger or garlic, and chili in an open wok or skillet. When the paste turns a few shades darker, precooked cold white rice is tossed in and stir-fried on high heat. Finally, the dish is seasoned with salt, white pepper, and generous amounts of sweet soy sauce. Some versions of this Indonesian national dish use shrimp paste as well, in order to add a meaty, savory deliciousness to the dish. When the rice grains are evenly colored and hot throughout, they are ready to be dished out.

Since Nasi Goreng is usually made with leftover rice from previous day, it is most commonly eaten for breakfast.

At Canteen Asia, we serve it with chicken satay skewer and sunny-side up fried egg on the side to make it a complete meal - perfect to be had at any time of the day! Fancy a trip to Indonesian street food stalls from the comfort of your home?

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