Nasi lemak
Malaysia’s national dish: fragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, crispy anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber.
- 65 min25 prep · 40 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 720 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Jasmine rice350 g
- coconut milk (400 ml)1 can
- Pandan leaves2
- Fresh ginger, sliced10 g
- Dried red chillies, soaked10
- Shallots6
- garlic3 cloves
- Shrimp paste (belacan)1 tsp
- Onion1
- Tamarind paste1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Dried anchovies (ikan bilis)80 g
- Roasted peanuts80 g
- Eggs4
- Cucumber, sliced1
- Vegetable oil6 tbsp
- Saltto taste
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Steps
- 1
Rinse the rice and cook it, covered, with the coconut milk, 150 ml water, the ginger, knotted pandan leaves and a pinch of salt.
- 2
Boil the eggs, then peel and halve them.
- 3
Blend the drained chillies, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste with a little oil into a paste.
- 4
Fry the anchovies in the oil until crisp and lift out, then fry the peanuts briefly.
- 5
In the same oil, fry the chilli paste over a low heat until dark red and the oil separates.
- 6
Add the sliced onion, tamarind, sugar, salt, a splash of water and half the anchovies and simmer into a thick sambal.
- 7
Serve the rice with the sambal, the rest of the anchovies, the peanuts, egg and cucumber.
Tips and questions
- Can I make the sambal ahead?
- Yes, it tastes even better the next day and keeps for a week in the fridge in a sealed jar.
- What can I use instead of pandan leaves?
- You can skip them; the rice will still be rich from the coconut milk. A bruised lemongrass stalk adds a nice scent.
Enjoy your meal!
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