No one really knows where fried rice originated, but one thing is for sure. Many countries have adopted it as their own dish with variations (e.g., Spanish paella, Thai fried rice, Italian risotto, Indian biryani, French pilaf and Hawaiian fried rice). It's easy to understand why fried rice is such a universal dish. Rice is the common thread, an extremely inexpensive ingredient, along with ingredients indigenous to each country.

This nasi goreng (which literally means "rice fried" in Indonesian) is spicy and full of bright flavors; just the thing to pick you up on a crisp early fall night, since it is hearty and satisfying. In Indonesia, the taste can differ dramatically depending upon the region and the proximity to the ocean. Based on my research and testing, I came up with this adaptation that will perk up any cook's culinary repertoire.

For a good result, the rice should be allowed to cool to room temperature before making the dish. So keep that in mind and plan ahead. If the rice is warm, it will become oily when stir-fried. I consider this a Seriously Simple dish because all of the preparation is done ahead of time.

The cooking will go quickly, so it's essential to have all of the ingredients prepared and ready. That way the dish takes just a few minutes to put together.

I like to use serrano chilies but any small, hot, flavorful chile like jalapeno or Thai chilies will work well. Avoid Scotch bonnet or habanero chilies unless you like your food extremely hot and spicy. Finally, roasted peanuts may not be authentic, but their addition as a garnish looks pretty and tastes delicious! Select a cold beer to accompany this comforting dish.

Tasty Tips

--Long grain rice, which comes out fluffier and is less sticky than other types of rice, is best for fried rice dishes.

--If you like egg: Scramble two eggs separately and add to the rice in the final stage of cooking.

--The shrimp and vegetables should be cooked separately and added in the final stage of cooking.

--If you want to remove some of the chile heat, discard the chile seeds that contain most of the heat.

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