We get way, way too much takeaway.  I know, I know – it is really bad for you, you don’t really know what you are eating, you’ll get fat, you really should cook your own meals, blah blah blah – but you know, when you finish one of those epic, long days (you know the ones when you lift your head thinking it is lunchtime and it is only 10.30am!!!) the last thing you feel like doing is getting all creative in the kitchen and cooking a meal.   AND the other last thing you don’t feel like doing is cleaning up the kitchen after cooking the meal. It is like the hits just keep on coming – BAM – come up with something to eat – BAM – make sure you have the ingredients – BAM – run to the store to get the ingredients – BAM – cook the meal – BAM – eat the meal – BAM clean up the mess you made while cooking the meal!!!  Sounds exhausting just reading about it doesn’t it?  That is why takeaway is such a crutch – you only get two BAMs – go out and get the food – BAM – eat it.  It just makes you smile right there. However when we do get takeaway we always have massive amounts of leftover rice.  There are always buckets of the stuff – and I feel awful just throwing it away.  So Bill Grainger to the rescue and I present you with Nasi Goreng – which is takeaway-style (that is it is made with takeaway leftovers and generally bought as a takeaway) but homemade.  The even better bit about it ? I can freeze it and then microwave it when I don’t feel like cooking – making it like a takeway but not, if you get what I mean.  Is anyone still with me??

Nasi Goreng

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

6 red Asian shallots, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 small green chillies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons kecap manis

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups cooked rice

4 eggs

to serve

shredded lettuce, tomato wedges, lime wedges.

Mix in a small bowl the kecap mains, soy sauce and sugar.  Heat your wok over high heat.  Add half the oil and, when hot, add shallots, garlic and chillies and cook until softened.  Stir in sauces and then add the rice, stir-frying until lightly coated and heated through.  In another frypan heat the remaining oil and fry eggs, sunny side up until just firm.  Place lettuce and tomato wedges around a bowl and serve fried rice with an egg on top.  Add a squeeze of lime to taste and extra chilli sauce if desired.  We added some shredded beef to Jason’s because we had it on hand but it was pretty tasty on its own.

As an aside, would you believe that Jason will eat a whole fried egg with a runny yolk on nasi goreng because the heat of the rice will apparently cook the egg through. Who knew??  Another great thing about this recipe – it looks EXACTLY like the picture on the book – you gotta love that don’t you?