Most of us are in a rush early in the morning, and we hardly have the time to think through what to make for breakfast and the subsequent meals. While planning lunch and dinner is left for later, grabbing a bite in the morning before going to work is essential. For people in Indonesia, the quickest idea is to make use of leftover rice from the day before, to make Nasi Goreng.
It is a traditional Indonesian dish that consists of eggs, shrimp paste, garlic, shallots, and kecap manis. The leftover rice is fried and tossed with these ingredients to turn it into a wholesome meal. It is said that Nasi Goreng originated from the Chinese culture of the 16th Century. It is believed that when trade started between the two countries, there were certain cultural and culinary exchanges that took place.
One of them was the tradition of frying rice. The Chinese did not believe in wasting food and would often use the rice left from the day before as a quick breakfast meal. Stir-fried in a wok, the Chinese enjoyed this version of rice more as it gave the dish a delicious consistency that the freshly cooked one wouldn’t have. The Indonesian adaptation of the fried rice gave way to Nasi Goreng that was paired with accompaniments like kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce, along with shrimp paste, shallots as well as proteins like eggs, chicken, and beef.
This became a popular breakfast meal over time. Here’s how you too can make Nasi Goreng at home.
Ingredients:
• 500 gms leftover rice
• 1 tbsp kecap manis
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 chopped brown onion
• 4-5 eggs
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• Vegetable oil
Method:
• Heat a wok with oil and add some carrots and onions to it.
• Once they soften, add in the crushed garlic.
• Next, throw in your cooked leftover rice and some peas and ham for protein.
• Cook it really well and combine it with kecap manis.
• Keep it warm while you prepare the eggs.
• Break the eggs one by one in a pan and fry them until the yolk melts.
• Place the rice on each plate and top it with a fried egg and some cucumber.
• Drizzle kecap manis and enjoy.
