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Nasi goreng is a staple rice dish enjoyed across Indonesia and it's perfect for using up any leftover rice or veg you've got to hand. In this easy-to-follow recipe, Shu Han Lee presents a delicious Malay-style version of the dish, flavoured with sambal and topped with a runny fried egg.

From the book

Introduction

You will find fried rice in almost every rice-eating nation, and Singapore is no exception. Given our cultural diversity, there are countless varieties of fried rice, but the one I always turn to is this Malay-style fried rice, seasoned with kecap manis and sambal. It’s a good recipe to have in your back pocket, as you can turn leftover rice and the bits and bobs sitting around in your crisper drawer into something truly special. I’ve used green beans here, but you could just as easily use the same volume of any crisp green vegetables, odd ends of carrots or celery, or even frozen peas. The only thing I would highly encourage you to keep are the runny fried eggs, as when broken, the yolks spill into the fried rice, adding richness to each spoonful.

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Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large free-range eggs
Pinch of fine sea salt, to taste
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
100 g (3½ oz) green beans, chopped into 1 cm (½ in) lengths
(300 g/10½ oz/ 2½ cups) cooked long-grain rice
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp kecap manis
1 red chilli, sliced
1 tbsp Sambal Tumis, plus more to serve
juice of ½ lime
To serve:
Few sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly torn
fried shallots
½ cucumber, sliced
Handful of prawn crackers (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a wok set over medium–high heat. Carefully crack the eggs into the hot oil and season with a pinch of salt. Fry until the whites set and turn golden brown on the edges – you might want to spoon the hot oil over the whites to help them set. Remove with a slotted spatula and set aside, keeping them warm.

Add the shallots to the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry until fragrant and light golden. Then add the green beans to cook, frying until they are bright green and tender. Now, whack the heat up so the oil is smoking hot, before adding the cold cooked rice. Spread out the rice and jab lightly with your spatula to break up any lumps. Stir in the soy sauce, kecap manis, chilli and sambal tumis, stirring and tossing to make sure all the rice grains are well coated. Keep stir-frying until the seasonings evaporate and the rice is heated through. When you see the edges of the rice start to caramelise, squeeze the lime over and give it a final stir through.

Divide the nasi goreng onto two plates and top with a fried egg each. Finish with a sprinkle of coriander, fried shallots and an extra dollop of sambal. I also like to arrange a few cucumber slices and prawn crackers alongside the rice – they add a delightful crunchy textural contrast to the dish.

Reviews

4 out of 5 stars

2 Ratings

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2 Comments

    default user avatar Frances Hendry

    Sounds great but where to find or make? Sambal and kepak?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Frances,

    Thank you for your query. Do you have an Asian supermarket near to you? You can usually find a range of sambal there if so. Waitrose now stocks kecap manis. If you are happy to order ingredients online, you can find both ingredients via the following website: https://www.matthewsfoodsonline.co.uk/

    Happy Cooking!
    The Happy Foodie Team

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From the book: Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore

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