Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal)
In short: Coconut rice scented with pandan and ginger, served with sweet-hot sambal, crisp fried anchovies and peanuts, cucumber and boiled egg. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 890 kcal
Nasi lemak is the plate Malaysians eat for breakfast, lunch and even dinner, sold in banana-leaf parcels at roadside stalls and in every kopitiam. Rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan and ginger is the base, with a sweet-hot sambal, crisp anchovies, fried peanuts, cucumber and a boiled egg alongside. The sambal is the heart of the dish, and a good one takes patience at the stove. Everything can be made ahead.
Instructions
- Drain the rinsed rice for 10 minutes. Put it in a pot with the coconut milk, water, salt, pandan, ginger and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, stir once, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff.
- Blend the dried and fresh chilies, shallots, garlic and toasted belacan with 3 tbsp water into a smooth paste.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook the paste for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil separates from the paste.
- Add the onion rings and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tamarind liquid, sugar and salt and simmer for 5 minutes, until glossy and thick. Taste for a balance of hot, sweet, sour and salty.
- Heat the frying oil in a small pan over medium heat. Fry the anchovies for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and crisp, and lift them out to drain. Fry the peanuts for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden, and drain. Stir half the anchovies into the sambal.
- Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and halve them.
- Serve the rice in mounds with sambal, egg, cucumber, the remaining anchovies and the peanuts.
Tips
- The sambal is ready when the oil rises to the surface around the edges. Stopping early leaves a raw chili taste, so be patient and keep the heat moderate.
- Make the sambal up to 5 days ahead. Frozen pandan leaves are sold at Asian grocers. Without them, add an extra slice of ginger and expect a lighter fragrance.
Questions and answers
What does nasi lemak mean?
Nasi is rice and lemak means rich or creamy, so the name refers to rice cooked in coconut milk. The sambal, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and egg are the usual accompaniments.
Can I make the sambal ahead of time?
Yes. It keeps for 5 days in the fridge and for 2 months in the freezer. The flavor deepens after a day, so it is often better the next day.
How spicy is nasi lemak?
The sambal is medium-hot. Cut the heat by removing the chili seeds, using fewer dried chilies, or adding an extra spoonful of sugar and tamarind.
How long does it take to make Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal)?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal)?
About 890 kcal per serving, with 32 g of protein, 100 g of carbohydrates and 40 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 890 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 32 g |
| Carbohydrates | 100 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Sodium | 1400 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
