Recipe Description
Nasi Lemak is a Malaysian favorite and is the national dish. Living in a diverse culture we are exposed to different variations of this local treasure. Almost everyone who cooks have got their own version depending on their liking, some prefer it sweet and some like it on the spicier side like I do! No matter what the taste is, we still enjoy it for all our courses be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. I could eat Nasi Lemak at any hour of the day, its the best!
Here is my version and this is definitely something I have picked up here and there and put together. It resulted in a successful cooking experiment and my family enjoys this version. It excludes the famous Belacan/ shrimp paste which some say is the key ingredient in Nasi Lemak (I am not a huge fan of it ), nonetheless you could add it in this version to have a classic go and I’m sure it will turn good too. Enjoy making this dish and do let me know for any suggestions for betterment.
Recipe Ingredient
- Rice:
- 2 cups rice
- 1 1/2 half cup water
- 1 1/2 half cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 inch ginger cut to pieces
- 1 stalk lemongrass bruised
- 1 small shallot
- 2 knotted pandan leaves (screwpine leaves )
- salt to taste
- Sambal to blend:
- 10 small red onions or shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 2 inch ginger
- Handful of anchovies
- Sambal paste (blend separately):
- 25-30 dried chilies soaked in boiling water
- Sambal to saute :
- Oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large onion
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1 stalk lemongrass bruised
- 2 knotted pandan leaves (screwpine Leaves )
- Salt to taste
- Brown sugar for balance (optional)
- Fried anchovies
- Juice of 1 lime
- Condiments :
- Cucumber
- Boiled or fried egg
- Fried peanuts
- Fried anchovies
Instructions
- First we cook the rice, In a rice cooker, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and saute the thinly sliced shallot, ginger and bruised lemongrass. Add in the rice, stir the rice to coat the butter and then add in the water, coconut milk, pandan knots and add salt according to preference. Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and close the lid to cook. Once rice cooks, leave it at warm and stir with a fork for a smooth texture.
- For the Sambal, heat oil and add bruised lemongrass and cook for a minute to infuse the oil then add the blended shallot paste. Let it cook till it turns golden brown. Meanwhile blend the soaked chilies, drain the water cause they have a bitter taste.
- Add in the chili paste and cook till oil separates, then add in the water, onion slices, tomatoes, pandan knots. Carefully add the salt as we have anchovies blended and they are at the salty side. Then add the desired amount of sugar for balance and finally the lime juice, Let this sambal simmer and thicken for 10 minutes and add in the fried anchovies. One stir and ready to serve.
- Prepare all the condiments to serve with the rice and sambal.
- Ready to eat!
