Nasi Lemak is typically served with various accompaniments such as fried crispy anchovies, roasted peanuts, sliced cucumbers, boiled or fried egg, and spicy sambal sauce. Often considered the national dish of Malaysia, we have served the coconut milk rice, with Chilli Onion Sambal, ikan bilis, roasted peanuts and hard boiled eggs.
Nasi Lemak Recipe
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Coconut Milk Rice
2 cups jasmine rice
3 pandan leaves, knotted
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, bruised
2/3 cup coconut milk
Chilli Onion Sambal
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
6 whole dried chillies
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup caster sugar
To serve
Fresh banana leaves
¼ cup roasted peanuts
½ cup ikan bilis
¼ cup dried chillies
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved
Method:
To make coconut milk rice, rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and place in a medium saucepan with pandan leaves, lemongrass, coconut milk, 2/3 cup water and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover; cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stand, covered for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the chilli onion sambal, combine oil, garlic, shallots and chilli in a small food processor and process until a fine paste.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the paste and cook stirring continuously for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tamarind, shrimp paste, onions, sugar and ⅓ cup water. Continue to cook for 20 minutes, or until deep in colour and the oil has separated.
Cut banana leaves the size of plates. Remove pandan leaves from rice and spoon onto banana leaves. Serve with sambal, peanuts, ikan bilis, chilli and eggs.
Smart Tip:
Ikan bilis are small fried anchovies, often served with peanuts as a bar snack throughout Indonesia. Both ikan bilis and shrimp paste are available from Asian supermarkets.
