Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice) Recipe by Jesslyn (@crafty_mama_house)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rice (preferably Thai fragrant rice)
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 550 ml water
• 5 pcs pandan leaves (screwpine leaves)
• 1½ tsp salt or to taste
• 2.5cm ginger (shredded)
• Sweet sambal
• 15g dried chili (trim and cut into 2-3pcs, boil in hot water and drained)
• 2 fresh red chilies
• 3 large onions
• 1 small knob of belacan (shrimp paste)
• 50g palm sugar
• 1pc tamarind peel (asam keping)
• 1 cup cooking oil
• ½ cup water
• Salt, to taste

Directions

For the coconut rice:

1. Place washed rice, salt and knotted pandan leaves in an electric rice cooker.
2. Add coconut milk, water, ginger and salt over the rice and leave to soak for 30 mins.
3. Then press “Cook”. Once cooked and on “keep warm” button, fluff rice with a ladle or chopsticks. Leave it on to keep warm.

For the sweet sambal:

1. Blend dried chili, fresh red chilies, onions, and shrimp paste until it's a fine paste.
2. Heat cooking oil in a wok, deep fry 1 cup of ikan bilis ( dried anchovies) till golden brown. Dish aside.
3. Add in blended A into remaining oil, sauté till fragrant and aromatic.
4. Add gula Melaka, tamarind peel, ½ cup water and salt, continue to sauté over low flame for 15-20 mins. When the paste becomes thick, taste and add more to your preference. Dish out.
5. Serve with coconut rice and garnish with fried anchovies, cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs or deep fried egg and toasted peanuts.