Nasi Tomato Sardin (Sardine Tomato Rice) is a simplified version of Malaysia’s popular Nasi Tomato cooked at a state park campground.
I may have gone a little overboard this year planting too many tomato plants. I planted 6 varieties in all and harvested probably close to 70 pounds of tomatoes. That said, we have enjoyed every daily harvest of our super sweet cherry tomatoes and I have put the rest to good use by making them into salsa, spaghetti sauce, and also canning them whole. With so much fresh tomatoes on hand, Nasi Tomato Sardin (Sardine Tomato Rice) from the old country came to mind.
Simplified Version of Malaysia’s Popular Nasi Tomato
In Malaysia, Nasi Tomato (Tomato Rice) is often eaten with Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Spicy Red Sauce). The rice is usually cooked with tomato puree or condensed tomato soup. Since this is a camp food version, I have simplified it by using a can of sardine in tomato sauce which worked out nicely. The canned sardine was easy to pack for camping and provided the protein for this dish.
Fried eggs, sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes (from the garden), fried ikan bilis (anchovies), Spanish peanuts, and a wedge of lime made this into a camping feast!
Enjoying Nasi Tomato Sardin With A View
It would have been great to sit outside to enjoy our lunch but it was a little windy because it is always windy in Wyoming, and so we ate inside our tent. We can’t complain though, as we had a great view of the reservoir and its surroundings at over 7,000 feet elevation.
Curt Gowdy State Park
We are blessed with several state and national parks around us that have campgrounds for the residents to enjoy. This state park is only about 40 minutes from home which is much closer than Glendo State Park. For this reason, we can make spontaneous decisions to go camping if the weather happens to be fine when the weekend approaches. This is also made possible because our campervan is setup and ready to go on short notice.
Curt Gowdy State Park has two reservoirs with campgrounds around it. The larger reservoir is Granite Springs Reservoir and the other is Crystal Lake Reservoir. The park is open 365 days but you need to make a reservation to camp from May 1 to September 30. From October 1 onwards, all campsites are on a first-come, first-serve basis. You still pay the required fees but you can drive around and find the best campsite for your stay.
Our Campsite
We chose the South Causeway Campground for our first visit and found a really fabulous campsite on arrival there. The outdoor “kitchen” has a view that can’t be beat. 🙂
Here I am cooking dinner and breakfast the next morning. I will share the recipe for our dinner’s Campfire Char Beehoon and Sausage and Vegetable Foil Packets soon.
Breakfast is the best meal at camp. Who doesn’t love sausage patties, baked beans, eggs, and toast for breakfast? On top of that, hot Malaysian white coffee on a cold morning is to die for!
After our Nasi Tomato Sardin lunch, we went for a hike around the reservoir which is larger than we thought. It is approximately 176 sq acres and will take several hours to hike around the lake. Since daylight is short at this time of the year and we are in bear country, we decided to head back after a 2-hour hike.
Similar Tools Used in This Nasi Tomato Sardin
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Odoland Camping Cookware Mess Kit, and 1.6L Kettle Set
Spurtle Set, Natural Acacia Wooden Kitchen Utensils Set of 4
10,000 BTU CSA List Portable Butane Gas Stove with Carrying Case
Stove Windscreen
Portable Cook Station Aluminum Camping Kitchen with Storage
Nasi Tomato Sardin (Sardine Tomato Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice (200g) **
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 inch ginger (peeled and julienned) (50g)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 can sardines in tomato sauce (5.5 oz/156g)
- 1½ cups water (360ml)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
Garnish
- 1 green onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 red chili (thinly sliced)
- A few stems of cilantro
Add-Ons (optional)
- 2 eggs (fried)
- 1 small cucumber (cut into thin slices)
- 4 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
- 2 tbsp fried ikan bilis/anchovies
- 2 tbsp Spanish peanuts
Instructions
- Wash and drain basmati rice two or three times. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Set both aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot. Saute onion and ginger for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Add garlic, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Continue to saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add cherry tomatoes and continue to cook for another minute.
- Now, add washed and drained basmati rice. Open the can of sardines and carefully pour in the tomato sauce but not the sardines.
- Pour in water and add butter. When liquid comes to a boil, season with salt and ground pepper.
- Also, add sardines, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
- Reduce heat to minimum and allow rice to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish with green onion, red chili, and cilantro. Served immediately with add-ons, if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nasi Tomato Sardin Encore At Home
Lunch at camp was such a success that it merited an encore at home. We enjoyed this dish very much and hope that you will too.
Another Spontaneous Camping Trip This Past Weekend
This fall is cooling down gradually as it should be. As such, we were able to sneak in one more trip to Curt Gowdy State Park. This time, we went to the Monte Cristo Campground at Crystal Lake Reservoir. This campground is further in and a little quieter, especially at this time of the year. This particular campsite has a bonus firepit on the beach!
I cooked a simplified Lor Mee (Braised Noodles) for lunch. I also brought a jar of End-Of-The-Garden Achar and made pan fried chicken and rice for dinner on the beach. That was really quick and easy. The next morning after watching a beautiful sunrise, we enjoyed a campfire breakfast.
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