Purists may scoff at this – but when a friend recommended this easy Nasi Goreng recipe loaded with vegetables and absolutely bursting with spicy, tangy, sweet flavors, it became our weekday, school night dinner with a global flavor!

Ingredients

For the paste (Crush these in a mortar and pestle till coarsely ground)

• Few garlic cloves
• A piece of peeled and washed ginger root
• Red chilli flakes
• Spoonful of brown sugar (optional)
• Handful of roasted peanuts
• Dash of olive oil

For the Fried Rice

• 2 cups of Basmati rice
• 1 cup of mixed julienne vegetables
  • Pak Choi
  • Beans
  • Carrots
  • Chinese Cabbage
• Light and Dark Soy Sauce
• Green/Red Chilli Sauce
• Dash of vinegar
• Any preferred oil for assembling the rice

For the Garnish

• Shallots sliced and deep fried till golden, crunchy – salted and kept aside
• Thin omelet rolled into a cigar and sliced fine into ribbons
• Lemon wedges

Method:

1. Heat some oil in a pan, add the washed and drain basmati and coat through
2. Add double the amount of water with salt and cook till just done and grains are still separate
3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok still smoking hot and stir fry the paste a few seconds
4. Add the julienned vegetables, stirring continuously till al dente
5. Add the Sauces and continue stirring
6. Now add the rice and stir through till well coated with the paste
7. Transfer to a serving dish – garnish with the onions, omelet ribbons and lemon wedges and serve piping hot!