Malay Nasi Lemak

This staple is often eaten for breakfast in Malaysia but is suitable at any time of day

Malaysian Nasi Lemak

The basic elements of any good nasi lemak tend to be coconut rice, ikan bilis (mini fried anchovies) and sambal (a sort of hot, spicy, chilli paste) topped with peanuts, cucumber and egg. The different textures when plated is what makes this one stand out. Remove the anchovies and this can be a very effective vegetarian dish.

AuthorHungry PandaCategoryDifficultyBeginner

This staple is often eaten for breakfast in Malaysia but is suitable at any time of day

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients for the Sambal
 12 dried chillies soaked in hot water
 2 small onions (or 5 shallots) finely chopped
 ½ tbsp tamarind dissolved in 2tsp of water
 2 tbsp vegetable oil
 1 tsp sugar
 ½ tsp salt
For the rice
 2 rice measuring cups of white long grain rice
 1 rice measuring cup of stock (vegetable or chicken)
 1 rice measuring cup of coconut milk
For the toppings
 peanuts
 sliced cucumber
 ikan bilis (optional and non vegetarian salt-cured anchovies)
 1 hard boiled egg (optional)

HOW TO MAKE
1

Make the sambal by draining the chillies then blend with the onions/shallots and half of the tamarind mixture until smooth.

2

Fry the paste off with the oil in a saucepan over a low heat for 10 minutes until fragrant and darker in colour.

3

Add the sugar, salt and the rest of the tamarind then simmer for 5 minutes when ready to serve.

4

Place two cups of white rice in your rice cooker bowl and fill to the 2 cup level line for WHITE RICE or LONG GRAIN using 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of stock (vegetable or chicken) .

5

Select ’WHITE RICE’ or ’REGULAR’. Press ’START’.

6

Leave on KEEP WARM for 10 minutes for the rice to suck up some of the tasty moisture.

7

For the toppings, Fry some peanuts (skins on preferably) in a little oil until brown.

8

Serve with a helping of the sambal, peanuts, slices of fresh cucumber and a hard boiled egg.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Sambal
 12 dried chillies soaked in hot water
 2 small onions (or 5 shallots) finely chopped
 ½ tbsp tamarind dissolved in 2tsp of water
 2 tbsp vegetable oil
 1 tsp sugar
 ½ tsp salt
For the rice
 2 rice measuring cups of white long grain rice
 1 rice measuring cup of stock (vegetable or chicken)
 1 rice measuring cup of coconut milk
For the toppings
 peanuts
 sliced cucumber
 ikan bilis (optional and non vegetarian salt-cured anchovies)
 1 hard boiled egg (optional)

Directions

HOW TO MAKE
1

Make the sambal by draining the chillies then blend with the onions/shallots and half of the tamarind mixture until smooth.

2

Fry the paste off with the oil in a saucepan over a low heat for 10 minutes until fragrant and darker in colour.

3

Add the sugar, salt and the rest of the tamarind then simmer for 5 minutes when ready to serve.

4

Place two cups of white rice in your rice cooker bowl and fill to the 2 cup level line for WHITE RICE or LONG GRAIN using 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of stock (vegetable or chicken) .

5

Select ’WHITE RICE’ or ’REGULAR’. Press ’START’.

6

Leave on KEEP WARM for 10 minutes for the rice to suck up some of the tasty moisture.

7

For the toppings, Fry some peanuts (skins on preferably) in a little oil until brown.

8

Serve with a helping of the sambal, peanuts, slices of fresh cucumber and a hard boiled egg.

Malay Nasi Lemak

You can also try serving with Sambal Kacang Goreng (green bean sambal).
This is a classic Malay dish after all, but even classics have variety.