Recipe: Nasi Lemak

Everyone’s heard of and tried Malaysia’s favourite national dish – nasi lemak. But how many people can confidently say that they know how to make this coconut steamed rice dish loved by many around the world?

This dish can be found almost everywhere in Malaysia, from restaurants in malls to Mamak stalls by the roadside, making it easy to satisfy your nasi lemak cravings anytime and anywhere. But what happens on the days you can’t be bothered to leave the house?

Don’t let the flashy title of “national dish” stop you from making your own serving at home. Although it might seem intimidating when attempting this dish, it’s actually quite simple. Try to cook using this Nasi Lemak Recipe! All you need are some ingredients and a bit of time on your hands.

Nasi Lemak Ingredients:

• Coconut Steamed Rice

  • 2 cups of rice
  • 3 screwpine leaves, tie them into a knot as shown above
  • salt to taste
  • 1 can coconut milk (5.6 oz)
  • some water

• Sambal Ikan Bilis

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 shallots
  • 10 dried chillies
  • 1 teaspoon belacan, prawn paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup of water
  • tamarind pulp, size of a small ping pong ball

• Other Ingredients

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into half
  • A handful of peanuts
  • 3 small fish, sardines or smelt fish, deep-fried
  • 1 small cucumber, cut into slices and then quartered

Instructions:

Coconut Steamed Rice

1. Similar to how you could cook regular rice, rinse the rice and drain.
2. Add in the coconut milk, a pinch of salt and some water.
3. Place the pandan leaves inside and leave the coconut steamed rice to cook.

Sambal Ikan Bilis

1. Rinse the ikan bilis and drain the water. Fry until they turn light brown before setting it aside.
2. Pound or blend the prawn paste, shallots, garlic, and deseeded dried chillies to create the sambal.
3. Slice the red onion into rings.
4. Meanwhile, soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Make sure to continually squeeze the tamarind pulp to extract its juices into the water. Strain and discard the pulp, while keeping the juice.
5. Place the sambal onto a pan and fry until it becomes fragrant. Toss in the onions and ikan bilis and mix well. Next, add the tamarind juice, sugar and salt. Leave it to simmer over low heat until the sambal begins to thicken.

Nasi Lemak

1. Serve the coconut steamed rice with some sambal ikan bilis, cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs and peanuts on the side. Enjoy!

Nasi Lemak Recipe

Easier than you think, isn’t it? But, if you’re not really in the mood to cook, why not have a plate of nasi lemak from a local Mamak stall instead! Not sure where to go? Don’t worry. Here are the 10 famous Mamak stalls in Klang Valley.

If you’re too lazy to leave the house or if Klang is too far from your place, you can always order on the foodpanda app, too. The foodpanda app offers a variety of cuisines and delivers straight to your doorstep.