Have leftover rice? Make nasi goreng!

If you have leftover rice, make it interesting by converting it into nasi goreng, a Southeast Asian friend rice and Indonesian national dish. There isn’t just one recipe; it varies from household to household, but basically it has vegetable, meat or prawns, and spices. It is different from Chinese fried rice, as it has a different flavour, more smoky and caramelized. It is typically served with fried eggs, prawn crackers, and pickles. Apparently there are 104 varieties of nasi goreng throughout Indonesia. They would vary according to the protein and, more, importantly, the spices. In Bali, the bumbu combination of spices is used. Typically, it has garlic, shallot, salt and chilli peppers, all either very finely chopped, or better yet, crushed into a pulp. In our cooking class, we used pistil and mortar so the flavours would melt effectively. Shrimp paste is often added, as is sweet soy sauce. And then… sky is the limit. Turmeric, black pepper, palm sugar, fish sauce are some option for the extras. So heat up some oil in a pan, add bumbu and other spices, when they release the flavours, add rice, some sweet soy sauce, fry it, add your protein, and you have a nice meal. With a fried egg, Indonesians have it for breakfast, but you can get it anywhere there at any time of the day.