indonesian fried rice.

so this sounds totally intimidating. but this is the second time i have made it and it is by far the best homemade fried rice recipe i have ever had. i know the ingredient list looks long, but most of the things tend to just be around the pantry or fridge. actually, this time i made it, the only ingredient i had to go out and buy was the serrano chiles. when you make this you can use any combination of vegetables you happen to have around in your fridge or freezer. i made some changes but this is based on a recipe by Deborah Madison, and her recipe actually just calls for peas. in this case i used some green beans from the Stillman's csa box (which were the BEST green beans I have ever had...they were so crisp and immaculate), a head of broccoli from the coolidge corner farmers market, and the remnants of a bag of frozen corn. this recipe calls for a food processor, which you don't actually need if you feel like mincing/squishing into a pasty-ish consistency.

oh and you can use tofu or tempeh for the protein. i have done both and either is a good choice. tempeh was what i happened to have available this time.

a tip with the chiles. the seeds and the white veins on the inside are the spiciest part. this recipe has a really nice kick. to tone it down, take out the seeds and veins from one of the chiles. or if you really can't handle flavor, i suppose you could seed and de-vein both.

a tip for making fried rice. if you have ever tried to make it at home, you know the problem is that the rice tends to stick together in a way unlike any fried rice you ever get from a restaurant. my mama told me the secret, and it is to use cold rice instead of fresh piping hot rice. this is a great way to use leftover old rice. or if you're like me and didn't plan ahead, you can make the rice, then stick it in the freezer for about 45 minutes, giving it a shake every 10-15 minutes to cool it down.

indonesian fried rice.

ingredients

for the tofu or tempeh:

2 packages of tempeh (i actually only had 1...so that'll do too)

1 T peanut oil

2 T soy sauce

3 1/2 T brown sugar

2 T water

for the rice:

1 small white onion, diced (or minced if you won't be using a food processor)

2 serrano chiles, diced (or minced of you won't be using a food processor)

2-3 T peanut oil

4 T soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 T ketchup

salt

4 c cooked brown basmati rice

2 eggs, lightly whisked with a fork

a few handfuls of green beans, in 1-2 inch pieces

a head of broccoli, chopped

1 c frozen corn

1 bunch scallions, including a bit of greens, sliced

directions

1. cut the tempeh into 3/4 inch chucks and steam for 20 minutes (this gets rid of the bitter flavor). i used my rice cooker to steam it.

2. heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. while it is heating, mix the soy sauce and sugar.

3. add the tempeh to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two on each side. once it starts crisping, add the soy sauce mixture and stir to coat. reduce the heat to medium, add 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. set the tofu aside.

4. use a food processor to make the onion and chiles into a paste (or finely mince and smash with the bottom of a cup a few times ).

5. mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup.

6. heat the oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet, add the onion paste, and stir-fry over high heat for a minute. them add about half of the soy sauce mixture.

7. add the rice and stir-fry until it is heated through.

8. move the rice to the edges of the pan, making a hole in the middle. pour the eggs into the center of the pan and scramble them, stirring constantly. it is okay if some rice gets into the mixture. when the eggs are almost done, incorporate them back into the rice and mix everything together.

9. add the tempeh, vegetables, and scallions, and mix well. add the rest of the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute. NOW YOU'RE DONE and it was worth it.

this is the tempeh...just a waitin' to get into that rice.

and here it is!