Nasi lemak (Coconut rice)

Nasi lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves. A basic nasi lemak usually comes with sambal, hard-boiled egg, sliced cucumbers, fried peanuts and fried dried anchovies, but these days just about anything goes.

Nasi lemak (Coconut rice) Credit: Georgia Gold

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400 g (2 cups) basmati or long-grain rice
• 250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
• 5 cm piece ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted

Sambal

• 2 large red onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 15 dried chillies, soaked in water for 15 minutes
• 30 g (1 cup) dried anchovies
• 2.5 cm piece toasted belacan (shrimp paste - see Note)
• 200 ml vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp sugar, plus extra if needed
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• salt

To serve

• hard-boiled eggs, halved, or fried eggs, sunny side up
• sliced cucumbers
• fried peanuts
• fried dried anchovies

Instructions

1. To make the Sambal, place the red onion, garlic, drained dried chillies, dried anchovies, belacan and 100 ml of the oil in a food processor or blender and process to form a paste.
2. Pour the remaining oil into a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add the chilli paste and cook, stirring regularly, for 4–5 minutes until it turns a darker shade of red and the oil has separated.
3. Add the sugar and cook for another minute to let it caramelise with the sambal. Add the tamarind paste and 125 ml (½ cup) water and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the sambal has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and extra sugar if needed. Keep in mind that the sambal should be a good balance of sweet, spicy and sour flavours.
4. Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then tip it into a rice cooker. Add the coconut cream and 500 ml (2 cups) water and stir in the ginger, salt and pandan leaves. Leave to soak for 5–10 minutes, then switch the rice cooker on and cook the rice according to the manufacturer's instructions.
5. Lightly fluff up the cooked rice with a fork or a wooden spoon. Serve immediately with the sambal, egg, cucumber, peanuts and dried anchovies.

 

Notes

• The sambal will make more than is needed for this recipe. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

• Belacan – also known as fermented shrimp paste – is a staple in Peranakan and Malay cuisine. Belacan is made from krill (tiny shrimp-like crustaceans) that have been salted, dried and fermented, which yield its deep salty-umami taste. Raw belacan should be toasted in a dry frying pan before using for best results.

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.