Nasi Lemak 椰漿飯

Nasi Lemak is Malaysia's national dish, a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves. It's traditionally served with a spicy sambal (chilli paste), crispy fried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, cucumber slices, and a hard-boiled egg. Often, it's accompanied by fried chicken (Ayam Goreng Berempah) or other curries.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• Basmati rice: 400g
• Full-fat coconut milk: 360ml
• Water: 200ml
• Fresh ginger: 50g (peeled and sliced)
• Lemongrass: 3 stalks (bruised or thinly sliced)
• Pandan leaves: 2 pieces (knotted)
• Salt: 1.5 teaspoons
• Dried red chilies: 25 pieces (soaked in hot water, deseeded)
• Shallots: 10 pieces (peeled)
• Garlic: 7 cloves (peeled)
• Toasted belacan (shrimp paste): 1 teaspoon
• Tamarind paste: 1 tablespoon
• Granulated sugar: 2.5 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil: 500ml (for deep frying) + 4 tablespoons (for sambal)
• Brown onion: 1 large (sliced)
• Dried anchovies (ikan bilis): 1.5 cups (rinsed)
• Chicken drumsticks or thighs: 800g
• Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
• Chili powder: 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
• Fennel powder: 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves: 1 sprig
• Hard-boiled eggs: 3 pieces (halved)
• Cucumber: 1 piece (sliced)
• Roasted peanuts: 0.5 cup

Steps

1. Rinse the Basmati rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain and place in a rice cooker or pot.
2. Add coconut milk, water, sliced ginger, 1 stalk of bruised lemongrass, pandan leaves, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt to the rice. Stir gently, then cook the rice using your rice cooker's setting or over medium-low heat until cooked.
3. While the rice is cooking, prepare the fried anchovies. Heat 500ml of vegetable oil in a wok or deep pot. Once hot, deep-fry the dried anchovies in batches until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Keep the oil for frying chicken.
4. To make the sambal, blend the soaked dried red chilies, 6 pieces of shallots, 3 cloves of garlic, and belacan into a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed to aid blending.
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a clean pan. Sauté the blended chili paste over medium heat until fragrant and the oil separates (pecah minyak), about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently.
6. Add the sliced brown onion, tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the sambal. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the sambal is rich and thick. Stir in 1 cup of the previously fried anchovies. Set aside.
7. For the fried chicken (Ayam Goreng Berempah), blend the remaining 4 pieces of shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 stalk of sliced ginger, and 2 stalks of thinly sliced lemongrass into a fine paste.
8. In a large bowl, combine the chicken drumsticks/thighs with the blended spice paste, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, 0.5 tablespoon of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon of salt, and curry leaves. Mix well to coat the chicken. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
9. Reheat the reserved vegetable oil (from frying anchovies) to medium-high heat. Deep-fry the marinated chicken pieces until golden brown and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size. Drain on paper towels.
10. To serve Nasi Lemak, arrange a portion of the fragrant coconut rice on a plate. Top with a generous spoonful of sambal, a few pieces of crispy fried anchovies, some roasted peanuts, cucumber slices, and half a hard-boiled egg. Serve with the fried chicken on the side.

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