Jamie Oliver's Nasi Goreng

It's really hard to find soul-soothing, warm-you-up, comfort food that is healthy. Let's face it...comfort food is usually ultimately satisfying because it's full of all the no no's: cheese, cream, butter, pasta, and all the other good stuff. The challenge is trying to find something that is just as comforting, but healthy.  This Nasi Goreng is just the thing!

Loaded up with lots of veggies, this Nasi Goreng is the perfect way to start your day. The heart of the dish is basmati rice mixed with onion, garlic, ginger, red hot chiles, cilantro, sugar snap peas and broccoli.  A couple splashes of soy sauce and fish sauce and your rice is ready to go! Make a quick cucumber pickle for a garnish and fry up some bubbly eggs and you're ready for one amazing dish!

The veggies and chiles give the rice a beautiful complex flavor.  The end result is one heavenly mixture of colorful and flavorful veggies with just the right amount of heat from the chilies. The fried egg placed atop the rice is a welcome invitation to dig in. This dish strikes a perfect balance of healthy and comforting.

To me the best thing about this dish is that it keeps beautifully. In fact, the rice is even better the next day! Make a double batch of the rice and keep it on hand in the fridge for a quick breakfast. Everyone always has a few minutes to fry up an egg in the morning! This way you can indulge in a special breakfast before rushing out the door!

This recipe is sure to stay in my rotation! Happy days, indeed!

Nasi Goreng

Recipe from Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food

Serves 4

For the Rice:

1 cup of basmati rice

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger

1 - 2 bird's eye chiles

1 cup of sugar snap peas

1 cup broccoli*

canola oil

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

splash of fish sauce

hot chili sauce

For the Cucumber Pickle

 1 large English cucumber

1 bunch of fresh cilantro 

rice wine vinegar

1 lime

sugar

Bubbly Eggs

4 scallions

1-2 fresh bird's eye chilies

4 large eggs

Put 1 cup of rice into a pan with a pinch of sea salt, cover with 2 cups of boiling water and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Tip onto a large tray and spread out into a thin layer to steam and cool completely. Of course, you can simply use up leftover rice from the day before, which is even better.

Meanwhile, make the pickle. Peel the cucumber, then slice it 1/4 inch thick (with a crinkle-cut knife if you have one) and place in a bowl. Finely chop half the cilantro stalks (reserving the leaves)and add to the bowl with a few good swigs of vinegar.  Add the lime zest and juice and sugar, then season and toss together well.

Peel the onion, garlic, ginger, seed the chiles, then finely chop it all with the remaining cilantro stalks.  Finely slice the sugar snap peas at an angle, and cut the broccoli* into bite-sized pieces. Place a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or wok onto high heat, add a lug of oil, then go in with theonion, garlic, ginger, chile, cilantro stalks, and sugar. Stir fry for a few minutes, then add the sugar snaps, broccoli, and cooked rice and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the rice is heated through, tossing regularly. Stir in the soy sauce and a few shakes of fish sauce to season, then turn the heat off.  Place a quater of the rice in a small bowl, push down to compact, then turn out onto a serving plate - think sandcastles! Repeat with the remaining rice.

For the bubbly eggs, trim the scallions and finely slice the chilies.  Places a large nonstick frying pan on high heat and add 1/4 inch of oil. Once hot, crack in the eggs and fry so the whites really bubble up and get crispy around the edges - by angling the pan so you can spoon hot oil over the yolks as they cook to your liking. Remove to paper towels and pat off the excess oil, then use the eggs to tope ach portion of rice. Scatter over the scallions, chilies, and reserved cilantro leaves, drizzle with some hot chili sauce for a bit of a kick, and serve with the cucumber pickle. Happy days!

IHCC MONTHLY FEATURED CHEF: JAMIE OLIVER