Nasi Goreng Pedas - Spicy Fried Rice

For some reason, it happens if you were born as an Indonesian, you would not need any recipe to make your own Nasi Goreng. Nasi means rice and Goreng means fried, so it is literally translated as Fried Rice. We grew up with it as we often have it for breakfast or supper. Ample versions of Nasi Goreng were developed. My family used to make Nasi Goreng from Sambal Terasi (Terasi/Belachan Sambal), shrimp and left over cold rice from the night before. We enjoyed it with fried egg or omelet, acar (pickled cucumber, shallot and chili), emping melinjo (melinjo nut crackers) and/or kerupuk udang (shrimp crackers).

I came up with Nasi Goreng Pedas, pedas can be translated as spicy/hot and it means we use chili either red chilies, bird eye's chilies or green chilies. In this version, I combined Indonesian chili paste, sambal oelek and Thai chili paste, nam prik-pao. My own preference, I don't really relish store-bought sambal ulek/oelek as it is too salty and vinegary, so I used a homemade sambal oelek that I keep in the freezer. If I want the store-bought version, I will buy Kokita sambal terasi.

Nasi Goreng

recipe by me

Ingredients

left over cold rice

shallot, sliced
homemade sambal ulek/oelek
nam prik-pao
Thai basil, chopped

eggs

ground white pepper

olive oil

Directions:

1. Put a half portion of sambal ulek/oelek and nam prik-pao on top the cold rice.

2. Beat the egg with nam prik-pao and ground white pepper. In a skillet, add a small amount of oil and heat it up to medium-high. Add beaten egg and make into scramble. Cook until done and set aside.

3. Use the same skillet, add another small amount of oil, saute shallot for a minute, add the other half portions of sambal ulek and nam prik-pao; stir. Place mixed cold rice and scrambled egg in the skillet, combine and stir until all mixed. Add chopped basil and stir. Serving suggestion: transfer into a plate, put fried shallot over and ready to eat with kerupuk udang.

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