Nasi Goreng

This dish (Nasi Goreng) literally means fried rice in Malay. This dish had the same beginnings as other iterations of fried rice; it started as a dish created to avoid wasting rice. The origins of this dish can be traced back to Southeast Asia, namely countries with a heavy Malay demographic such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

In this cookbook, the recipe is for a healthier version of Nasi Goreng. Traditionally, one is supposed to include sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste, but this cookbook chooses to omit it from its recipe. A possible explanation for this could be that since this cookbook was published by a hospital, they discourage the use of unhealthy ingredients in their dish.

Traditionally in Southeast Asia, other condiments such as sambal (chilli sauce), kerupuk (crackers) and acar (chilli peppers) are all added to Nasi Goreng. However, in this cookbook, there is a noticeable lack of condiments with the exception of salt and pepper. Instead, we note that healthy substitutes such as broccoli, peas and carrots are used instead.