‘Ultimate comfort food’

Growing up in Sydney, Australia, Lara Lee’s Indonesian grandmother made nasi goreng at least once a week.

“We would always have rice with every meal,” Lee recalls, “and then my grandmother would make nasi goreng the next day.”

Lee’s “ultimate comfort food,” she includes two of her favourite versions of the fried rice dish in her cookbook, Coconut & Sambal: the following chicken nasi goreng, aromatic with garlic, galangal and shallot, spiced with white pepper and turmeric; and a vegetarian iteration (nasi goreng sayur), stirred through with fresh Balinese sambal matah.

“What I love about nasi goreng is that it was born out of leftover rice,” says Lee. “It’s that no-waste philosophy of Indonesians. There’s always a huge amount of rice on the table every day at meal times, and then any leftover rice isn’t thrown out. It’s used the next day to make nasi goreng.”

The dish is a nationwide favourite enjoyed at any time of day — though it’s Lee’s top choice for a quiet Friday night dinner.

Since nasi goreng freezes so well, she’ll often batch cook it, pack it in freezer containers and drop it off for friends with babies. “Then all they have to do is fry an egg to eat dinner that night,” says Lee. “It’s such a good dish.”

CHICKEN NASI GORENG

Origin: Popular all over Indonesia

Chili heat: Mild

• Sambal suggestion: Peanut sauce (recipe follows)

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into small, bite-sized cubes

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

• 8-cm piece of galangal or ginger (about 40 g), peeled and woody stem removed, finely chopped

• 1 small banana shallot or 2 Thai shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

• Handful of green beans, chopped into small chunks

• 2 spring onions, chopped into large chunks

• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

• 95 g jasmine or basmati rice, cooked and cooled (240 g cooked weight)

• 2 tbsp kecap manis (recipe follows, or store-bought)

• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce

• 2 tsp light soy sauce

• Sea salt and white pepper, to taste

• Coconut oil or sunflower oil, for frying

To serve:

• 2 duck or hen’s eggs

• 1 tbsp fried shallots

• 1/2 long red chili, thinly sliced

• Kerupuk or prawn crackers

STEP 1

Season the chicken pieces with salt and white pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat and fry the chicken until cooked through, about three minutes. Remove and set aside.

STEP 2

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the garlic, galangal or ginger and shallots and cook over a medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the green beans, spring onions and turmeric and cook for one minute.

STEP 3

Add the rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Ensure all the ingredients are well combined and the rice is warmed through. Return the chicken to the pan. Season with the kecap manis, fish sauce, light soy sauce and a large pinch of white pepper, and extra salt if needed.

STEP 4

Meanwhile, fry the eggs. Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once shimmering, crack the eggs directly into the oil. Cook for two to three minutes until the whites are partially cooked. Tilt the pan and spoon the hot oil over the egg whites until they are fully cooked (Lee likes her yolk runny, but cook yours to your liking). Season with salt.

STEP 5

Divide the fried rice between two serving plates and garnish with the fried shallots, sliced chili and fried eggs on top. Serve with crackers.

Serves: Two as a large main or four as a side

PEANUT SAUCE

Origin: Popular all over Indonesia

Chili heat: Mild

• 75 g unsalted, raw peanuts, preferably with their skin on (or 75 g unsweetened, unsalted smooth peanut butter)

• 2 long red chilies, deseeded and very finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

• 4 tsp kecap manis (see recipe or store-bought), or more to taste

• 2 tsp tamarind paste (or 2 tsp lime juice mixed with 2 tsp brown sugar)

• Large pinch of sea salt

• Sunflower oil, for frying

STEP 1

If using raw peanuts, heat 150 ml (2/3 cup) of oil to 160°C (320°F) in a deep saucepan over a high heat. (If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check the oil is at temperature by adding a cube of bread; it should turn golden in 25–30 seconds.) Carefully lower the peanuts into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Stirring continuously, as peanuts can easily burn, fry for four to five minutes until golden. Remove the peanuts from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

STEP 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the chilies and garlic and fry until softened, about four minutes.

STEP 3

Place the fried peanuts or peanut butter in a small food processor with the cooked garlic and chilies, kecap manis, tamarind paste and salt. Pulse briefly, then add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and pulse again. Gradually add water (about 4 tablespoons) and continue to pulse until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Season with salt or more kecap manis as needed.

Makes: Two portions as a dressing or dipping sauce

HOMEMADE KECAP MANIS

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) light soy sauce or gluten-free tamari

• 90 g palm sugar or brown sugar

STEP 1

Combine the soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and thicken to the consistency of maple syrup. This should take no longer than five minutes. Leave to cool.

Makes: 120 ml (1/2 cup)

LOUISE HAGGER Chicken nasi goreng is a fried rice dish that has become a nation-wide favourite in Indonesia. The recipe is featured in the cookbook, Coconut and Sambal.