Nasi Lemak

History

Nasi lemak is a dish sold in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. In Kuala Lumpur, it is called the national dish, a national heritage of Malaysia. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes can usually be found sold side by side for breakfast. However, because of the Nasi Lemak's versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day. There is a similar dish in Indonesia called nasi uduk.

With roots in Malay culture, its name is a Malay word that literally means 'rice in cream'. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. Sometimes knotted screwpine (pandan) leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance. Spices such as ginger and occasionally herbs like lemon grass may be added for additional fragrance.

Traditionally, this comes as a platter of food wrapped in banana leaf, with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sauce (sambal) at its core. As a more substantial meal, nasi lemak can also come with a variety of other accompaniments such as chicken, cuttlefish, cockle, stir fried water convolvulus (kangkong), pickled vegetables (achar), beef rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices) or paru (beef lungs). Traditionally most of these accompaniments are spicy in nature.

Nasi Lemak is widely eaten in Malaysia, even as a dish served in Malaysian schools. Nasi lemak is a common breakfast dish, sold early in the morning at roadside stalls in Malaysia, where it is often sold packed in newspaper, brown paper, or banana leaf. However, there are restaurants which serve it on a plate as noon or evening meals, making it possible for the dish to be eaten all day. Nasi lemak kukus which means hot nasi lemak is another name given to nasi lemak served with hot cooked rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Coconut Milk Steamed Rice

2 cups of rice
3 screwpine leaves (tie them into a knot as shown above)
Salt to taste
1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
Some water

Tamarind Juice

1 cup of water
Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)

Sambal Ikan BIlis (Dried Anchovies Sambal)

1/2 red onion

1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)

1 clove garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar

Other ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)

3 small fish (sardines or smelt fish)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)

METHOD:

Just like making steamed rice, rinse your rice and drain. Add the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and some water. Add the pandan leaves into the rice and cook your rice.

Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.

Pound the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, and deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle. You can also grind them with a food processor.

Slice the red onion into rings.

Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.

Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant.

Add in the onion rings.

Add in the ikan bilis and stir well.

Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.

Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.

Clean the small fish, cut them into half and season with salt. Deep fry.

Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.

Dish up the steamed coconut milk rice and pour some sambal ikan bilis on top of the rice.

Serve with fried fish, cucumber slices, and hard-boiled eggs.

Different versions

Nasi Lemak, here served with fish cake, ikan bilis, egg, and buah keluak chicken

There are different versions of Nasi Lemak as prepared by different chefs in different cultures. Hotels have nasi lemak on their menu with elaborate dishes, such as beef rendang and the addition of other seafood, while humble roadside stalls sell them ready packed, known as "Nasi Lemak Bungkus", meaning "Wrapped Nasi Lemak", with minimal additions that costs between Ringgit Malaysia 1 to 7 per pack.

There are Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian versions.

Malaysian Indian version

The Malaysian Indian version is similar to the original version. However, Hindus do not eat beef. Beef is not included while preparing Malaysian Indian version of nasi lemak.

Malaysian Chinese version

Although it is not common to see Malaysian Chinese stalls and restaurants selling nasi lemak, there is a non-halal version that contains pork sold in towns and cities such as Malacca and certain parts of Kuala Lumpur. Some Malaysian Chinese hawkers are known to make minced pork sambal.

Vegetarian version

In certain parts of Kuala Lumpur, some Malaysian Chinese and Malay hawkers offer vegetarian nasi lemak in which the meat is substituted with tofu.