Nasi Goreng literally means “Fried Rice”. In Indonesia it refers simply to a spicy fried pre-cooked rice with veggies. Even though Nasi Goreng made with “cauliflower rice” isn’t authentic, this is my re-creation of a dish that I had at Shady Shack in Canggu, Bali! Chopped cauliflower pulsed in the food processor and lightly sauteed, creates a rice like texture. My secret ingredient for the sauce happened quite accidentally! I was out of fresh ginger and substituted a little crystallized ginger which gave the sauce the body, sweetness and spiciness that I was after. After tossing the cauliflower rice with the paste, I topped the dish with freshly chopped mango, quick pickled onions, crispy shallots, crispy tempeh, a few organic raisins, and freshly chopped cilantro! (Start your quick pickled onions 2 hours before you want to eat!)
Serves 2-3
The Spice Paste: (Feel free to double or triple the spice paste to have it on hand)
- 2 whole shallots, cut in quarters, skin on
- 4 whole cloves of garlic, skin on
- 2 birds eye chilis, whole
- 1 heaping tbsp. of chopped organic crystallized ginger
- 1 Tbsp. of coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp. of tamari
- 1/4 cup of avocado oil
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the quartered shallots, whole garlic cloves, and chilis until the garlic softens and the chilis and shallots are looking slightly browned. This will take about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Combine the toasted shallots, garlic and chilis in your blender with the crystallized ginger, coconut sugar, tamari and avocado oil. Blend until it is smooth, dark and sticky. Set aside.
Quick Pickled Red Onions:
- 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. of pink himalayan salt
- 11/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
Combine the vinegar with the salt in a 2 cup mason jar. Press the onion slices into the vinegar to submerge. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours prior to eating. Store in the refrigerator.
The Cauliflower Rice:
- One whole organic cauliflower, stemmed and chopped coarsley
- 1 cup of finely chopped kale
- 1 cup of thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Core the cauliflower. Chop the florets coarsely. Pulse in your food processor to create a rice-like texture. In a medium sized fry pan heat the tsp. of sesame oil. Add the cauliflower rice, cabbage, and kale. Saute for 5 minutes or so until the cauliflower is lightly cooked. You want the texture to be toothsome but not mushy. Set aside while you prepare the shallots and the tempeh.
The Crispy Shallots:
- 6 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp. avocado oil
- pinch of salt
In a small fry pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots. Stir frequently to prevent burning but allow the shallots to brown and become crisp. Place the shallots on a piece of paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
The Tempeh:
- 1 pkg. of tempeh thawed and cut into small rectangles
- 2 Tbsp. tamari
- 1/8 cup of avocado oil
In a medium sized fry pan heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped tempeh and the tamari. Fry until browned and slightly crisp on all sides.
To Serve:
Re-heat the cauliflower. Add 2 Tbsp. of the spice paste. Stir to combine. Taste, adding more if you like it spicier!
Arrange the cauliflower rice into bowls. Top with crispy tempeh, shallots, quick pickled onions, chopped fresh mango, and a smattering of organic raisins. Sprinkle with lots of freshly chopped cilantro to serve.
