Vegan MoFo day 20: Nasi goreng in the neighbourhood
By Erinwiko on Oct 20, 2011 | In Food porn | 2 Comments
Sometimes I wonder if I’m one of the only people left in Australia who hasn’t been to Indonesia. I should really pop in one day, it’s the neighbourly thing to do. There’s a lot that interests me about Indonesia, but a lot that repels me too- namely, the hoardes of drunk Australians. But then I remember my love of Indonesian food, a love so strong that I could put up with almost anything, and the desire to visit comes right back.
There are two things that I’m particularly grateful to Indonesia for: tempeh, and satay. So for tonight’s MoFo meal, I had to combine the two to create a Jakarta street food favourite.
I turned to The Asian Vegan Kitchen for the recipe- originally for tofu, asparagus and baby corn satay- which is tucked away in the Thai section. I’d made it as written previously and loved it, so I decided to adapt it slightly to a more authentic Indonesian taste, mainly by substituting fried tempeh for tofu, and making good use of my huge bottle of kecap manis. I’ve been on a real tempeh kick over the last few months, so I really enjoyed it this way. The frying adds a tougher exterior to the tempeh, and works as a great replacement for the tender meat that can be found alongside tempeh at roadside satay stalls. This satay sauce is also quick, easy perfection- though I’m inclined to say that about most things I can throw together in around a minute.
The nasi goreng, also from The Asian Vegan Kitchen, is an Indonesian take on common fried rice. Loaded with vegetables (capcisum, snow peas, spring onions and my favourite, bean sprouts), this is super filling, satisfying comfort food.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the food that makes me want to take the step to make Indonesia a friend, rather than just the country next door. Maybe I’ll head over to borrow a cup of palm sugar when I run out- after all, isn’t that what good neighbours do?