Nasi Lemak (Coconut Cream Rice)

Nasi Lemak is a one dish meal that is eaten by many Malaysians. Primarily this is eaten for breakfast, but this is served through out the day by many restaurants here.

I must admit that when it comes to nasi lemak I am really hopeless. My last attempt ended with a pot rice with floating coconut cream. By right it should coconut cream infused rice. Since then I have given up trying.

Recently, we had a DeepaRaya (short for Deepavali and Hari Raya) celebration in the office and one of my colleagues cooked a pot of heavenly tasting nasi lemak. From her explanation, the process doesn't seem so difficult. Therefore, I brace myself for another attempt of nasi lemak. Though the outcome is not as good as my colleague's but I am quite happy with it.

Ingredients for Nasi Lemak
4 cups of rice
200 ml of coconut milk (I used the Ayam Brand coconut milk as shown below)
1 tsp salt
4-5 screw pine leaves (pandan leaves)
4 slices of ginger
water


1. Wash rice and place it together with ginger, screw pine leaves and salt in electric rice pot.
2. Pour 50ml of coconut milk on to rice and top up with enough water (as per manufacturer's instruction).
3. Set rice to cook.
4. Once all the liquid is fully absorb, stir in the remaining coconut milk.
5. Leave rice to continue cooking until the cooking cycle is completed.
6. Fluff rice with a pair of chopstick before serving.

No nasi lemak is complete without Sambal Ikan Bilis (anchovies). Here is a recipe I learnt from another colleague who cooks fantastic tasting sambal.

Ingredients
100g dried chillies,
2 medium size bombay onions, blended
1 medium size bombay onions, sliced
1/2 square inch belacan (shrimp paste)
2 tbsp tamarind pulp diluted with 1/4 cup water, strained
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup of fried ikan bilis (anchovies)

1. Cut dried chillies into 2 cm length and boil them in a pot of water for 15 minutes.
2. Drained chillies and blend.
3. Heat oil and fry blended onions until lightly brown.
4. Add in blended chillies, sliced bombay onions and shrimp paste, fry till oil floated to the top of chilli mixture.
5. Add in fried anchovies, tamarind juice, sugar and salt.
6. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Besides Sambal Ikan Bilis, I serve my nasi lemak with Spicy Fried Chicken, hard boiled eggs, fried peanuts, fried anchovies and sliced cucumber.