Nasi goreng

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Nasi goreng istimewa - "Special fried rice"

Nasi goreng, literally meaning "fried rice" in Indonesian and Malay, can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, to a meal including fried rice accompanied with other items, or to a more complicated fried rice, typically spiced with tamarind and chilli and including other ingredients, particularly egg and prawns.

[edit] "Plain" nasi goreng

In Indonesian and Malay, nasi means cooked rice and goreng means fried.

[edit] From leftover rice to nasi goreng

The main ingredients for the plain nasi goreng include pre-cooked rice, soy sauce, garlic, shallot and some spring onions for garnishing. Nasi goreng can be eaten at any time of day, and many Indonesians, Malaysians and Singaporeans eat nasi goreng for breakfast, often using leftovers from the previous day's dinner. The rice used to make nasi goreng is cooked ahead of time and left to cool down (so it is not soggy), which is one reason to use rice cooked from the day before.

[edit] ‘Special’ nasi goreng – as meal component

In restaurants, the dish is often served as a main meal accompanied by additional items such as a fried egg, fried chicken, satay, vegetables, and kerupuk (meaning crackers or fried potato chips, also called "prawn crackers" and many other names). In many warungs (street stalls), when accompanied by a fried egg, it is sometimes called nasi goreng istimewa (special fried rice).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Nasi goreng as known world-wide

The "banquet" version of nasi goreng is a meal in itself, typically including prawns and egg, spiced with tamarind, chilli and coriander.^{[citation needed]}. The variety is a basic menu item in Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean restaurants worldwide.^{[citation needed]} Nasi goreng can also be found in other restaurants in western countries, such as in Chinese and Indian ones, but with local adaptation (for instance, by adding curry seasoning).

[edit] Nasi goreng in the Low Countries

In the Netherlands, Indonesian-Chinese restaurants may offer nasi goreng spiced to suit Dutch taste. In The Netherlands and Flanders, the name nasi goreng is often used for any Asian style of fried rice.