Indonesian cabbage fried rice: Nanyang homely fireworks hidden in Jakarta alley

I remember the evening when I got lost in the old city of Jakarta in the rainy season last year. The sky quickly darkened like an ink bottle was knocked over. The fine cold rain hit the slate road and splashed circles of fine spray. I huddled in the narrow lane to hide from the rain, clutching the crumpled map in my hand, and I couldn't even tell the direction, the tip of the nose was firmly hooked by an irresistible aroma-it was the taste of Indonesian cabbage fried rice (Nasi Goreng Kol), mixed with the mellow of sweet soy sauce, the pungent aroma of fresh garlic and red onion, the unique sweetness of cabbage after blanching, and a little bit of lemongrass lingering charm unique to Nanyang, which slowly dispersed in the humid and sultry air, wrapped in smoke, and instantly dispelled the body.

The stall owner is an old Indonesian woman wearing a floral headscarf. Her skin is healthy and light brown in the tropical sun. Her hands are quickly stir-frying the iron pot. The crisp sound of the shovel hitting the wall of the pot, mixed with the crackling sound of the rice bursting under the high temperature, has become the gentlest background sound in rainy days. She looked at me standing in the rain at a loss. She didn't ask much. She just greeted me with a smile and not very fluent English. She turned around and filled a plate full of fried rice that had just come out of the pan. There were two crispy Indonesian shrimp slices on the edge of the porcelain plate. There was a flowing sun egg lying in the middle. She said gently: "Son, try our Indonesian' comfort food', and it won't be cold after eating, also don't panic." In that mouthful, the warm rice grains were clear, each grain was evenly wrapped in light brown sauce, crisp cabbage creaked softly between teeth, there was no soft and sticky feeling, only fresh and cool juice, salty and sweet balanced flavor wrapped in faint spice fragrance, and warm satisfaction spread from the stomach to the fingertips. I instantly understood why this seemingly simple to extreme fried rice, it can become a household name in Indonesia.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce myself-my name is Lila Marquez, female, born on June 12, 1987. I am a food blogger who has been working in aifoodnews for eight years. on weekdays, I like to wander around the old city alleys of various countries and look for authentic home-cooked dishes hidden in the market. my friends always say that I have a "fried rice radar" with me, and no matter where I go, I can accurately avoid online red shops, find the most grounded and pyrotechnic local fried rice stall. My character has always been stubborn. Whenever I eat a mouthful of amazing taste, I always have to chase the vendor for a long time and ask about the ingredients and practices. My pet phrase has always been "delicious food has stories, and the homely taste hidden in fireworks is the most touching". On weekdays, I prefer salty and sweet, balanced and soft flavors. When cooking, I always like to hum soothing old songs while preparing ingredients slowly. I am especially obsessed with studying the integrated home-cooked dishes of various countries. This kind of food does not have the complicated setting of high-end cuisine, but hides the local customs and living temperature. Indonesian cabbage fried rice is just such a taste in my heart.

Later, I stayed in Jakarta for more than half a month. Almost every day, I would detour to the corner of the old city, order the same cabbage fried rice, chat with this old woman named Ibu Siti, and slowly find out the root of this fried rice. In Indonesian, "Nasi Goreng" means fried rice, which is the core and most popular staple food in Indonesian diet. From high-end restaurants to street stalls, every household's stove can make its own taste. "Kol" refers specifically to cabbage. Compared with luxury Indonesian fried rice with fresh shrimp, beef and squid, cabbage fried rice is the most down-to-earth civilian version, it is also the fast food with the highest frequency on the Indonesian family table. There are no expensive ingredients, only the most common cabbage, rice and basic spices, but with precise temperature and seasoning, it has become the taste memory of countless Indonesians from childhood to adulthood.

Many people confuse Indonesian fried rice with Chinese fried rice. In fact, the flavor of the two is very different. This is also the most unique place of Indonesian cabbage fried rice. Chinese fried rice pays attention to pot spirit and original taste, mostly seasoned with raw soy sauce and salt, focusing on the fragrant glutinous rice. The soul of Indonesian fried rice lies in the combination of sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis) and Nanyang's home spices. It does not have too much spicy feeling or greasy taste. The sweet and salty flavor is mild and top-topped. With crisp and tender cabbage, it just neutralizes the mellow sauce and tastes fresh and not greasy. Ibu Siti told me that Indonesia is located in the tropics. Vegetables are not easy to keep fresh. Cabbage is the most common cheap vegetable in the area. Adding it to fried rice can not only increase the taste level, but also supplement the freshness of vegetables. Old people and children love to eat it. In the evening of busy days, stir-fry a pot of cabbage and fried rice, with some shrimp slices and fried tofu, which is a satisfactory dinner, simple but healing enough.

The trick of making this fried rice is never complicated ingredients, but the control of ingredients and temperature. This is also the most moving part of the market cuisine. First of all, the rice must be cold rice overnight. The water is completely drained and the particles are loose. After being fried in the pan, the particles are clear and will not stick together. Cabbage cannot be cut into pieces or fried for too long. It is enough to stir-fry for more than ten seconds. Keeping the crisp and tender taste is the key. Once the fried rice is soft and soft, the whole plate will become weak and lose its soul. Spices only use fresh garlic and red onion, A little citronella crumbled Tixiang, without multiple ingredients, retains the taste of the ingredients themselves, and finally sprinkle a proper amount of Indonesian sweet soy sauce, stir-fry evenly and you can get out of the pot. It seems to be done at will, but in fact every step hides the experience of life.

After returning to China, I have never forgotten the bowl of Indonesian cabbage fried rice in rainy days. I specially adjusted it repeatedly at home according to the method I learned in Jakarta. I recorded the proportion of ingredients and the duration of each time in the aifoodnews's gourmet account, and slowly reprinted the taste close to the local. Every time I stir-fry this fried rice at home, the sound of the iron pan and the aroma of sweet soy sauce and cabbage will bring me back to the rainy day in Jakarta, thinking of Ibu Siti's gentle smile and the fireworks in the alley. I also know more and more that food is never just a food for the stomach, but also a carrier of emotions and memories. It does not have a delicate plate, no expensive ingredients, but it can give people warmth when they are tired, and give people a sense of belonging in a strange place. This is the most precious meaning of home-cooked food.

Compared with those big dishes with complicated procedures, I always prefer this kind of simple market fried rice, which hides the food culture of a place, hides the daily life of ordinary people, and hides the simplest healing power. Indonesian cabbage fried rice is like this. Without a gorgeous coat, relying on a bowl of fried rice with clear grains, salty, sweet and crisp, it has captured thousands of diners, whether it is a native Indonesian resident or a foreign traveler like me. In this taste, you can feel the gentleness and fireworks of Nanyang. It taught me that the best taste is often not in high-end restaurants, but in the street stalls, in front of the hearth where the family stir-fry, simple, pure, but warm enough.

In fact, our life is like this bowl of fried rice, which does not need too many complicated modifications. It is simple, steadfast and warm. I don't know if you have ever had such an experience. In a strange city, you were cured by a bowl of humble street food, or a home-cooked dish often cooked at home, hiding your own memory? If you also love this refreshing and non-greasy Nanyang flavor, you may as well try to make a bowl of Indonesian cabbage fried rice at home and feel the gentleness of the fireworks from Jakarta Alley. You are also welcome to talk to me in the comment area. The bowl of home-cooked fried rice that is the most cured in your heart.