In its most simple form, it is fried rice, stir-fried with spices and a range of salty seasonings and supplemented with pieces of vegetables, meat and/or fish.
On the streets in Indonesia, where this dish can be found everywhere, people still like to serve this simple version, although quite exotic variations do the rounds there too. In Jakarta, for example, they serve the legendary nasi goreng kambing kebon sirih, in short nasi with goat.
Many other Southeast Asian countries also have their own version of fried rice, such as nasi goreng kampung in Malaysia and khao pad in Thailand.
The main ingredient of nasi goreng is definitely the rice. The dish is best when the rice has been cooked in advance and cooled completely. Most chefs even swear by it. For nasi goreng as a side dish, a fragrant base of onion, garlic, turmeric and chili peppers is first fried in oil.
Rice, soy sauce, ketjap manis, trassi, sugar and salt are added and baked until the rice has absorbed the flavors and all the grains have been stirred. If the fried rice serves as a complete meal, vegetables such as cabbage or mushrooms, pieces of chicken, pork or ham, or shrimps are also added. The fried rice is very tasty with a fried egg on top.
The egg is preferably prepared in an Asian way: fried in a wok in a generous layer of hot oil, so that the edges and bottom are wonderfully brown, slightly sticky and yet crispy.