This dish exemplifies the complex culinary heritage of the Indonesian islands, which have been conquered and colonized by many different countries over the centuries: Rice, the main ingredient, was introduced by sailors from India, who arrived around the time of Christ. The technique of stir-frying came from the Chinese, who explored the islands in the fourth century. Chiles were brought by Renaissance Portuguese explorers (who first discovered this ingredient in the Americas), and the accompaniment of hard-boiled eggs is a legacy of Dutch traders from the colonial era.This dish is best made from cold leftover rice, but you can cook a fresh batch and leave it to cool for at least 4 hours. Beat the eggs and make into a omelette, slice into strips and set aside.Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the chopped onion, leek, garlic and chillis. Fry until the onion is soft. Add the Coriander and Cumin. Slice Chicken into strips and add with the prawns to the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until they are well mixed. Add the rice, soya sauce and omelet strips and cook for a further 5 minutes.Decorate with some of the leftover leek and serve hot. Enjoy. If we have a national dish – that is well known all over the world for, it would be “Nasi Goreng Indonesia”. Indonesian fried rice has been popular in and out of the country. If you are stranded in some city or town or village and you stepped into local eateries, and if you happened to be not too adventurous in culinary quest, it is the safest item to order and you can always find it in any decent restaurants in sight. Even when they don’t have it in the menu, providing that restaurant do serve rice, you can request for it.
Indonesians like to fit all sorts of flavors and textures in one biteful. That is what sets the fried rice apart from other version found in the region. The condiments are fried shallots, fried rice / prawn crackers, shredded chicken meat and fresh vegetables such as lettuce, sliced cucumber, sliced tomatoes. The flavor is enriched by shrimp paste, chili, garlic and shallots.
As always, the rice used is day-old rice. Newly cooked rice can also be used, if they are properly cooled. However, the fried rice will turn out to be stickier, so proper care in adjusting the heat is needed to ensure that doesn’t happen. Fried rice with grains sticking together is such a turn-off.
The prepared Nasi Goreng
About the picture:
Indonesian fried rice normally used javanica, which is a medium grain, fat and dry with low sticky character. The better quality rice would be the nicely polished and white ones with no broken grainsAs always, the rice used is day-old rice. Newly cooked rice can also be used, if they are properly cooled. However, the fried rice will turn out to be stickier, so proper care in adjusting the heat is needed to ensure that doesn’t happen. Fried rice with grains sticking together is such a turn-off.
The preparation :)
Aboout the Video:
If you don’t like getting physical – electric blender can be used to grind the spices. If you don’t have a big wok, work on it in small batches.
The level of spiciness can be adjusted by reducing the amount of red chili (or thai chillies) called for, or you can always remove the seeds before grinding them
Cooking oil used should be flavorless such as canola, sunflowers or corn oil. Strong smelling cooking oil such as coconut oil would be too overpowering
I did read another version where the spice paste is mixed well in a bowl with rice and then stir-fried. It is an interesting technique worth experimenting with.
You can find more information here: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/80dishes/2010/05/indonesia-nasi-goreng.html
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