Recipe: Nasi Lemak

Malaysia's national dish, the Nasi Lemak is a flavoursome dish which celebrates the fiery flavours of South East Asian cuisine.

Gastrology recently had a go at making our very own Nasi Lemak and we are pleased to say our attempt was successful! Here is our recipe so you folks at home can play along as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Preparation of Nasi Lemak

• 2 cups of rice, preferably basmati rice
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 slice ginger
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 10 tsps coconut milk
• 1 pandan (screwpine) leaf
• 3 shallots, sliced
• Salt to taste

Preparation of Sambal Ikan Bilis

• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsps, chilli paste (or to taste)
• 2 tbsps, Malaysian palm cooking oil
• 1 cup of dried anchovies
• 2 tbsps tamarind juice
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• Salt and sugar to taste

Garnishing

• 2 hard boiled eggs, hlaved
• 3/4 cup anchovies, fried
• 3/4 peanuts, fried
• cucumber, sliced

Directions

Nasi Lemak:

1. Wash rice and drain. Do this several times.
2. In a pot, add rice, coconut milk and water (use correct amount of water according to type of rice). Add also shallots, ginger, pandan leaf, lemongrass and salt.
3. Bring to boil, simmer 10-12 minutes uncovered until water has been absorbed into the level of rice.
4. Loosen rice grains using wooden ladle. Cover pot with lid and steam rice on a very low heat about 10-12 minutes.

Sambal Ikan Bilis:

1. Grind chilli paste, shallots, shrimp paste and garlic into paste.
2. In a wok, fry dried anchovies until crispy and put aside.
3. Using 2 tbsps of the same oil, saute paste until fragrant. Add in onion, tamarind juice, salt and sugar. Cook until gravy thickens to a dark reddish brown. Add fried anchovies and mix well.