Nasi lemak is a fragrant and flavorful dish consisting of steamed rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with an array of accompaniments such as sambal chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber slices, onions, and peanuts. The key to making the perfect nasi lemak lies in the quality of the ingredients and the preparation of the rice. With the right combination of spices, herbs, and cooking techniques, you can create a delicious and authentic nasi lemak that will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the vibrant streets of Malaysia.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
NASI LEMAK
It's way too easy to fall in love with the Malaysian dish Nasi Lemak, a coconutty rice bowl topped with crispy-crunchy crumbles of teeny little fried anchovies dressed in a sweet-spicy sambal.
Provided by Kopitiam, NYC
Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Malaysia Anchovy Chile Pepper Tamarind Peanut Rice Coconut Cucumber Pescatarian Dairy Free Tree Nut Free Egg
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Sambal Ikan Bilis:
- Chop paper lantern chiles into ½" pieces, discarding most of the seeds that fall out. Place in a small bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. Let sit 30 minutes to soften, then drain.
- Meanwhile, bring oil and peanuts to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook, adjusting heat as needed, until peanuts are golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer nuts to paper towels to drain; set aside for serving. Immediately add anchovies to oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper towels; let cool. Set ¼ cup oil aside.
- Pulse shallots, garlic, and ¼ cup fried anchovies (save remaining anchovies for serving) in a food processor until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add paper lantern and Holland chiles to food processor (no need to clean) and pulse until very smooth and no visible pieces of dried chile remain. Transfer chile purée to a small bowl.
- Heat reserved oil in a medium skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add shallot mixture and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Mix in chile purée and cook, stirring often, until it starts to stick to bottom of skillet, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add sugar, tamarind concentrate, and ¼ cup water and cook, stirring often, until sambal is much darker in color and thickened, 25-35 minutes.
- Do Ahead: Sambal ikan bilis can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
- Rice and assembly:
- Place rice in a medium saucepan and pour in cold water to cover; swirl with your hands to rinse away some of the starch. Drain and repeat process 2 more times. Water should be just slightly cloudy at this point. Place rinsed rice back into saucepan and cover with 2½ cups cold water; stir in salt. Gather pandan leaves (if using) together and tie into a knot; add to pan. Bring rice to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pan and reduce heat to low; cook 18 minutes. Remove lid and stir in coconut milk. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower eggs into water. Cook 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise.
- Combine sambal ikan bilis, reserved fried peanuts, and reserved fried anchovies in a medium bowl and toss to evenly coat. Scoop a generous ½ cup sambal mixture into a 12-oz. bowl. Top with 1½ cups rice and pack into bowl with a rubber spatula to compress. The bowl should be filled to the rim. Place a slightly larger bowl upside down over bowl of rice. Invert so larger bowl is now on the bottom; lift off smaller bowl. You should have a dome of rice and anchovy mixture nestled in the center of the larger bowl. Arrange 8 cucumber slices around rice dome, overlapping slightly to make a semicircle. Add 2 egg halves to side of rice with no cucumber slices; season yolks lightly with soy sauce. Repeat with remaining rice, sambal mixture, cucumbers, and eggs to make 3 more bowls.
NASI LEMAK WITH SAMBAL CHICKEN
Make and share this Nasi Lemak With Sambal Chicken recipe from Food.com.
Provided by i_luv_maeda
Categories Malaysian
Time 40m
Yield 2-4 Plates, 2-4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For the rice :.
- Mix all the ingredients , and leave to cook for 10 minutes .
- For the chicken :.
- Cut and remove the seeds from the dried red chili , soak in boiling water for 5 minutes .
- Drain the water , and blend it with 1 cup of water ; get chilli paste .
- Chop the chicken into smaller pieces .
- Dice the onion , ginger and garlic .
- Saute the garlic and ginger in a pan , under low heat for 2 minutes .
- Add the chili paste into the pan , and mix until fragrant ; around 3 minutes .
- Add the water in the pan and cook for 5 minutes , until it thickens .
- Add the chicken , and the salt , and cook for another 2 minutes .
- Lastly , serve .
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2521, Fat 118.2, SaturatedFat 40.8, Cholesterol 172.5, Sodium 1515, Carbohydrate 291.2, Fiber 12.8, Sugar 23.9, Protein 74.3
NASI LEMAK SAMBAL CHICKEN
Make and share this Nasi Lemak Sambal Chicken recipe from Food.com.
Provided by i_luv_maeda
Categories Malaysian
Time 40m
Yield 2 paltes, 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For Rice :.
- Mix all the ingredients , and leave to cook for 10 minutes .
- For Chicken :.
- Cut and remove the seeds from the dried red chilli , soak in boiling water for 5 minutes .
- Drain the water , and blend it with 1 cup of water ; get chilli paste .
- Chop the chicken into smaller pieces .
- Dice the onion , ginger and garlic .
- Sauté the garlic and ginger in a pan , under low heat for 2 minutes .
- Add the chilli paste into the pan , and mix until fragrant ; around 3 minutes .
- Add the water in the pan and cook for 5 minutes , until it thickens .
- Add the chicken , and the salt , and cook for another 2 minutes .
- Lastly , serve .
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1431.6, Fat 74, SaturatedFat 24, Cholesterol 114.9, Sodium 755.8, Carbohydrate 147.6, Fiber 6.8, Sugar 13.2, Protein 44.7
MALAYSIAN NASI LEMAK
Delicious Malaysian coconut rice, served with anchovy hot chile sauce, fried anchovies, fried peanut, sliced cucumber or tomato and hard-boiled egg. If you do not have tamarind juice, substitute with same amount of lemon juice.
Provided by Tuty Jek
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Malaysian
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together coconut milk, water, ground ginger, ginger root, salt, bay leaf, and rice. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done.
- Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water, cool, peel and slice in half. Slice cucumber.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet or wok, heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Stir in peanuts and cook briefly, until lightly browned. Remove peanuts with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to soak up excess grease. Return skillet to stove. Stir in the contents of one package anchovies; cook briefly, turning, until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Discard oil. Wipe out skillet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Stir in the onion, garlic, and shallots; cook until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes. Mix in the chile paste, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the chile paste is too dry, add a small amount of water. Stir in remaining anchovies; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in salt, sugar, and tamarind juice; simmer until sauce is thick, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the onion and garlic sauce over the warm rice, and top with peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumbers, and eggs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 578.3 calories, Carbohydrate 57.4 g, Cholesterol 127.5 mg, Fat 31.9 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 19.5 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Sodium 230.4 mg, Sugar 7.7 g
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients for the best flavor. This means using fresh, fragrant rice, flavorful coconut milk, and tender chicken.
- Be sure to rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking. This will help to remove any impurities and ensure that the rice cooks evenly.
- When cooking the rice, be sure to use a heavy-bottomed pot. This will help to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Don't stir the rice while it is cooking. Stirring the rice will release starch, which can make the rice gummy.
- Once the rice is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help the rice to absorb the flavors of the coconut milk.
- To make the sambal chicken, be sure to use a good quality sambal. A good sambal will have a deep, rich flavor.
- When cooking the chicken, be sure to cook it over medium heat. This will help to prevent the chicken from drying out.
- Serve the nasi lemak with a variety of side dishes, such as cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs, and fried anchovies.
Conclusion:
Nasi lemak is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With its fragrant rice, flavorful coconut milk, and tender chicken, nasi lemak is a surefire hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting dish to try, be sure to give nasi lemak a try. You won't be disappointed!
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