Southeast Asia—Indonesian Eggs with Shrimp & Beef

Indonesian Entree

Eggs with Shrimp & Beef
Nasi-Goreng
(Serves 8)

A savory mixture of rice, beef, and shrimp—tossed with slender strips of egg omlet.

2 C cooked long-grained white rice
3 eggs
salt & pepper
4 T vegetable oil (divided)
2 onions (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (peeled)
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (see sidebar)
12 oz. fresh shrimp (peeled, deveined)
l lb. beef, top loin or sirloin (2 x 1/8” strips)
8 scallions (cut lengthwise into strips)
3 T soy sauce
1/2 C canned French fried onion rings (as garnish)
2 T fresh cilantro (chopped, as garnish)

Rice: cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Omlet: Using a large enough skillet, make a thin omelet with eggs, salt & pepper and 2 tsp oil. Roll up omelet and, when cool, cut into thin strips. Set aside.

Beef: Puree in food processor onions, garlic, and shrimp paste; then sauté mixture in 2 T of oil in skillet or wok. Add beef strips, stirring and cooking for 4 minutes.

Assembly: Add remainder of oil and whole shrimp, stirring for 2 minutes to coat shrimp; then add cooked rice, scallions, and cook 3-5 more minutes, till shrimp is translucent and meat is cooked but tender Stir in omlet strips and soy sauce.

Serve: stir final mixture, and serve in a large bowl or platter topped with onion rings and cilantro.

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Tips & Glossary

Southeast Asian cuisine seeks a balance of hot, sour, sweet, and salty—all in a single dish. Adjust to suit your taste perferences.

Many of the ingredients below are unfamiliar to Westerners, but you can find most in any local Asian market.

Fish Sauce: a liquid made of fermented anchovies and bottled (like soy sauce).

Galanga: a root related to ginger though with deeper tones of citrus and pine. Tough to slice...use a sharp knife. (If galanga is not to be found, use ginger root.)

Lemon Grass: tall, stalky, critus-flavored grass. Prior to cooking, pound or crush gently to release flavor.

Rice Sticks: aka rice noodles or vermicelli; thin dried noodles from rice flour. Soak before using, about 1 hour, or less, (depending on how soft or chewy you like your noodles.)

Shrimp Paste: fermented, ground shrimp. It carries a pungent aroma but is essential in cooking.

Taffir Lime: a lime bush native the region. The leaves and pebbly rind (as zest) are used for flavoring, but not the juice. The leaves can be bought dried.

Tamarind: tropical tree grown in Africa and Asia; its fruit pulp is used as souring agent. It’s also found in Worcestershire sauce and some ketchup.