Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak
Ingredients
For the Coconut Rice
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted
- 1 cup coconut milk, canned
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
For the Sambal
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon belacan, shrimp paste, sliced into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons chili paste, bright red/orange
- 1 tablespoon chili paste, darker red/brown
- 1/2 cup shallots, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, canned
For the Accompaniments
- 1 cup cooking oil, for deep frying
- 1/2 cup small dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
- 1/2 cup peanuts, raw
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the white rice thoroughly. Place the rinsed rice into the pot of a rice cooker. Add the knotted pandan leaves, coconut milk, water, and salt to the rice cooker pot. Stir the mixture gently with a wooden spoon to combine. Place the pot into the rice cooker and turn it on to cook.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
While the rice is cooking, heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot (a small piece of anchovy should sizzle immediately), deep-fry the small dried anchovies (ikan bilis) until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Use a strainer ladle to remove them from the oil and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
In the same oil, deep-fry the raw peanuts until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Remove them from the oil with a strainer ladle and set aside with the anchovies.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Carefully pour out most of the oil from the wok, leaving about 1/4 cup. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced belacan to the residual oil in the wok. Use a ladle to stir and smash the belacan, breaking it down and frying it until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min
- 5
Add both types of chili paste to the wok with the belacan. Stir well to combine and cook the chili paste for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oil separates from the paste and it darkens slightly. This is known as 'pecah minyak'.
⏱️ 7 min
- 6
Add the sliced shallots to the wok and stir them into the cooking sambal base. Cook until the shallots soften, about 3-5 minutes.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Sprinkle sugar into the wok and pour in the 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Stir the sambal mixture thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sugar or a pinch of salt if needed.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Once the coconut rice is cooked, open the lid of the rice cooker. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle.
⏱️ 1 min
- 9
To assemble, scoop a portion of the cooked coconut rice onto a plate or a piece of food-safe wrapping paper. Arrange a portion of the fried anchovies and peanuts next to the rice. Spoon a generous amount of the prepared sambal onto the plate. Add a halved hard-boiled egg and several slices of fresh cucumber. Serve immediately or wrap into a compact parcel.
⏱️ 4 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
For the Coconut Rice
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted
- 1 cup coconut milk, canned
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
For the Sambal
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon belacan, shrimp paste, sliced into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons chili paste, bright red/orange
- 1 tablespoon chili paste, darker red/brown
- 1/2 cup shallots, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, canned
For the Accompaniments
- 1 cup cooking oil, for deep frying
- 1/2 cup small dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
- 1/2 cup peanuts, raw
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the white rice thoroughly. Place the rinsed rice into the pot of a rice cooker. Add the knotted pandan leaves, coconut milk, water, and salt to the rice cooker pot. Stir the mixture gently with a wooden spoon to combine. Place the pot into the rice cooker and turn it on to cook.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
While the rice is cooking, heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot (a small piece of anchovy should sizzle immediately), deep-fry the small dried anchovies (ikan bilis) until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Use a strainer ladle to remove them from the oil and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
In the same oil, deep-fry the raw peanuts until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Remove them from the oil with a strainer ladle and set aside with the anchovies.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Carefully pour out most of the oil from the wok, leaving about 1/4 cup. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced belacan to the residual oil in the wok. Use a ladle to stir and smash the belacan, breaking it down and frying it until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min - 5
Add both types of chili paste to the wok with the belacan. Stir well to combine and cook the chili paste for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oil separates from the paste and it darkens slightly. This is known as 'pecah minyak'.
⏱️ 7 min - 6
Add the sliced shallots to the wok and stir them into the cooking sambal base. Cook until the shallots soften, about 3-5 minutes.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Sprinkle sugar into the wok and pour in the 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Stir the sambal mixture thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sugar or a pinch of salt if needed.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Once the coconut rice is cooked, open the lid of the rice cooker. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle.
⏱️ 1 min - 9
To assemble, scoop a portion of the cooked coconut rice onto a plate or a piece of food-safe wrapping paper. Arrange a portion of the fried anchovies and peanuts next to the rice. Spoon a generous amount of the prepared sambal onto the plate. Add a halved hard-boiled egg and several slices of fresh cucumber. Serve immediately or wrap into a compact parcel.
⏱️ 4 min