Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is everyone's favourite as Breakfast or Supper.  It is cooked in coconut milk and "pandan" leaf commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the Malaysia national Dish.  Nasi lemak's versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day.

Traditionally, nasi lemak is served with a platter of side dishes wrapped in banana leaves from pasar / wet market comes in a price ranging from $1.00 to $3.50.  Nasi Lemak consist of cucumber slices, small fried anchovies (ikan bilis) either dry or with mixed in sambal, roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot or sweet spicy sambal. 

As a more substantial meal, nasi lemak can also come with a variety of other accompaniments such as ayam goreng (fried chicken), beef rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices) or paru (beef lungs) and pickled vegetables (acar) . Traditionally most of these accompaniments are mild spicy in nature.

In Malaysia and Singapore, nasi lemak comes in many varieties as they are prepared by different chefs in different cultures. The original nasi lemak in Malaysia is arguably a typical Southern and Central Peninsular Malaysia breakfast among Malays. Malaysian Chinese and Indians also partake this dish in their breakfast but not as frequently as Malays. The sambal tends to range from fiery hot to mildly hot with a sweet under taste.

Nasi Lemak is very easy to prepare, most of the preparation is in the condiments.  Here is the my Homemade Nasi Lemak / Coconut Milk Rice and Anchovies Sambal.  If you want a plain sambal, just leave the anchovies aside and deepfried .  Enjoy!!


PREPARE COCONUT RICE
2 cups Fragrance Rice ( washed and drained )
Coconut Milk ( extracted from 2 grated coconuts and water ) or you can used santan from pkg 
Ginger ( peel and thinly 4 slices )
Pandan Leaves 3, knotted
Salt 1tsp

* Combine Rice with coconut milk, ginger, pandan leaves in a rice cooker.  Season with salt, cook till its done.  

PREPARE ANCHOVIES SAMBAL 
1 cup of Tamarind Juice
1/2 red onion
1 cup ikan bilis (fried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
5 dried chillies
5 fresh chilies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
salt & sugar to taste

GARNISH
1 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)


METHOD:
*Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.

*Pound prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, Fresh & deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle ( hand blender ). 

*Slice the red onion into rings.

*Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.

* Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant. Add in the onion rings. Add in the ikan bilis and stir well. Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.  Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.

*Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.

*Dish up steamed coconut milk rice and some sambal ikan bilis on side or top of the rice. Serve with cucumber slices, fried peanuts, hard-boiled eggs and i have Beef Rendang.

Yummilicious Nasi Lemak with Daging Rendang.