An Authentic Nasi Lemak Recipe - The People's FavouriteOne of the standout champions when it comes to delicious food in Malaysia is Nasi Lemak, Malaysia’s de facto national dish, and boy, does it come with impressive credentials – it’s no exaggeration to say that every Malaysian has eaten nasi lemak, and there are some who eat it every day, maybe even more than once a day! It is a mainstay in many a school’s lunch menu (much to the delight of schoolchildren everywhere) and you’ll find street vendors selling it near office buildings, road corners and coffee shops as early as six in the morning; hotels, on the other hand, serve upscale versions of it, complete with fancy side dishes. The different ethnicities in multicultural Malaysia all have their own versions of this dish, meaning a nasi lemak aficionado will have a smorgasbord of options to choose from when they’re looking for their nasi lemak fix. Nasi lemak, to your average Malaysian, is an even better gastronomical invention than sliced bread. The core of nasi lemak is the rice (nasi meaning rice), which is cooked in coconut milk. Screwpine leaves, known locally as pandan leavens, is added during the process, giving the rice in nasi lemak its signature fragrance. This process of cooking it in coconut milk gives the rice a lovely body, and forms the ‘lemak’ portion of the dish – Fatty Rice is the literal translation for Nasi Lemak. And then you have the savory condiments, which consists of sambal (a spicy chili paste), fried ikan bilis (dried anchovies), cucumber slices, roasted peanuts and half a hard-boiled egg.
The above is the most basic version of Nasi Lemak, and this is the one street vendors sell, usually for RM 1.00 – RM1.50 (and 5-10 times higher in local fine dining restaurant - I know, it’s crazy!) and wrapped up in a banana leaf; it is usually enjoyed for breakfast or as a morning snack. Those in search of a more filling meal of Nasi Lemak, usually for lunch or dinner, can order a side dish to go with it. Popular side dishes for Nasi Lemak include (but are not limited to!) fried chicken, chicken curry, beef rending, fried egg and cuttlefish sambal. The sky’s the limit, really, when choosing side dishes. The variety in texture and flavors and the sheer ease with which one can find this iconic Malaysian dish means that ambrosia is always just a stone’s throw away. And, during those times when you just feel like chilling at home, Nasi Lemak, just like most of the delicious food in Malaysia, can be easily prepared in your own kitchen. All you need is Khimyan’s Sambal Paste, a little bit of lime juice, coconut milk and red onions, - just follow the sambal recipe below and you’ve got the perfect sauce to sprinkle over your coconut rice and all those other savory condiments you love so much. This Nasi Lemak recipe serves 4 Ingredients: For the nasi lemak paste: • 1 red onion, finely sliced • 1 lime, squeezed (peeled and diced) • 60 ml/2 oz coconut milk • sugar to taste • 1 packet of Khimyan's Nyonya Sambal Paste For the coconut milk rice: • 2 cups of rice • 3 screwpine leaves (a.k.a pandan leaves, each leaf tied into a knot • salt to taste • 6 ginger slices • 180 ml/6 oz coconut milk • 350 ml/12 oz water For condiments: • 1 cup peanuts • 100 g/3.5 oz dried anchovies • 12 cucumber slices • 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved Instructions: 1.Rinse the rice and drain. Put it in a rice cooker with the water and coconut milk. Add the screwpine leaves, ginger slices and salt to taste. Let the rice cook. 2. Heat up the wok and saute the onion slices along with the contents from the packet of Khimyan's Nyonya Sambal Paste over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the red onion slices are cooked. Lower the heat and add the coconut milk, then simmer for a further 2 minutes. 3. Rinse the dried anchovies before soaking them in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water. 4. Heat up 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and stir fry the anchovies in a wok for 1 minute or until they turn a golden brown. 5. Serve the coconut milk rice on a plate. Scoop the nasi lemak paste on top of the rice. For aesthetic purposes, you can scoop the rice into a rice bowl and then set it onto the plate; the paste will look nicer on top a round dome of rice. 6. Serve hot with the peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumber slices and hard-boiled egg. Suggestions: You can serve the nasi lemak on a banana leave for authenticity!
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