As the weather starts to warm up and the last vestiges of winter melt away, I daydream about how much I need to get away and have a break. You know the feeling, right? That post-winter blues mixed with an intense craving for a sun-soaked holiday. My social media feed seems full of pictures of friends' perfectly manicured toes poolside in Bali.

Sigh. To compensate for my lack of holidays this year, I created a little piece of Bali in my kitchen. Enter Nasi Goreng Ayam, the mood-lifting, season-straddling, quick and easy comfort dish about to become your new best friend.

The All-Weather Wonder

Nasi Goreng, which literally translates to "fried rice" in Indonesian and Malay, is a perfect inter-season meal. It will satisfy your craving for something warm and comforting on a cool evening and tick all your boxes in warmer weather.

If you haven't had it before, it's not spicy but has lovely aromatics with its white pepper and ginger flavours, which will make you feel like you're dining at a beachside warung in no time.

Hartleys Asian Supermarket in Richmond is an excellent place to stock up on the necessary spices and sauces, while Richmond Fruit Market or Scibberras Fresh are great for your vegetables. 

Here's a little insider tip: Can't find Kecap Manis, the sweet soy sauce that gives Nasi Goreng its distinctive flavour? You can make your own by simmering 3/4 cup of tamari (which is gluten-free) or light soy sauce with 1 cup of brown sugar. Voila! You have a perfectly workable substitute. 

This recipe is adapted from Lara Lee's Coconut & Sambal cookbook, which has a tonne of fabulous Indonesian recipes. 

Nasi Goreng Ayam (Chicken)

30 minutes to make

Serves 4

Ingredients

4-5 Boneless skinless Chicken thighs (chopped into bite-sized chunks)

½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper

3 Tb vegetable oil

4 eschallots peeled and thinly sliced

2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger peeled and finely chopped (I pulsed mine quickly with the garlic in a small food processor)

4 Garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped

2 cups green beans (topped and tailed and cut roughly into thirds)

4 large spring onions chopped into 1cm slices

½ - ¾ tsp turmeric

Around 3 -4 cups of cooked and cooled white rice (long grain, jasmine or basmati)

4TB Kencap Manis (sweet soy sauce)

4 tsp light soy sauce

3 tsp fish sauce

4 eggs

Chopped peanuts, fried shallots and finely cut red chilli to garnish

Prawn crackers to serve (optional)

Method

1. Season the chicken with salt and white pepper, and then fry it until brown in a pan with half the oil. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, add the eschallots, ginger and garlic and stir until the eschallots are starting to go translucent. Then, add the beans, spring onions, and turmeric and stir for another minute. 
3. Add the cooked rice and stir until warm, breaking up any chunks as you go.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the soy, kencap manis, and fish sauce. Add more salt and white pepper to taste. 
5. In a separate pan, fry the eggs to your liking.
6. Divide the rice mixture between 4 bowls, add the chopped peanuts, fried shallots, and red chilli, and top with a fried egg. Serve with prawn crackers on the side.