Nasi Lemak

I am sharing a dish known as 'Nasi Lemak', which is fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf or known as Screwpine leaf.  It is served with side items such as eggs (either hard boiled or fried), fried anchovies, fried peanuts, cucumber, salted fish and/or fried chicken.  Most importantly, the main ingredients is 'sambal', which is a must to go with the yummy rice.  This recipe is a keeper and I am sharing it with everyone who follows my blog.  

Ingredients: (Serves-2)

(A)  Fragrant Rice

• 2 cups rice
• a knob ginger (about 1") - peeled and lightly smashed
• 1 pc. lemongrass (peeled off outside layer, washed and smashed) - I omit
• 250 g. coconut milk
• 3 pcs. pandan leaves/screwpine leaves (tied into knot)
• Salt (to taste)
• Water (to top up to the coconut milk, amount based on our usual cooking of rice)

(B)  Sambal

• 18 pieces dried chili 
• 5 shallots (peeled and sliced thickly)
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 1 tbsp. belacan (shrimp paste) - sliced, pan fry using low heat, set aside for later use)
• 1 tbsp. dried shrimps (soaked and drained)
• 1 tsp. tamarind soak in 1 cup warm water, mix and remove pulp)
• 1 onion (peeled, halved and sliced, not too thin slices)
• Salt and sugar (to taste)
• 3 tbsp. cooking oil (part)

(C)  Side Items

• 2 eggs (hard boiled, peeled and halved)
• Fried anchovies 
• Fried peanuts
• Sliced cucumbers
• Fried chicken

Methods:

(A)  Fragrant Rice

1. In a rice cooker inner pot, add in rice, wash. drain and wipe dry the outside of the pot.
2. Add in coconut milk and water.
3. Add in ginger, lemongrass (if using) and pandan leaves.
4. Sprinkle dashes of salt and stir it to combine and check for correct seasoning.
5. Place the pot into the rice cooker and press button to start cooking.

(B)  Sambal

1. For the dried chilies, I prefer to remove some of the seeds, soak with warm water, drain, cut into quarter pieces and place them in the bowl of a hand blender.
2. Add in shallots, garlic, belachan and dried shrimps.
3. I add a tablespoon of cooking oil into the blender bowl to ease blending, and blend until smooth.  Remove the paste into a bowl.
4. In a medium heated wok add 2 tablespoon of cooking oil, fry the blended ingredients until fragrant.  Pour in the tamarind water, dash of salt and sugar, fry until sugar melted; and taste for correct seasoning. (I prefer to taste before adding salt and sugar so that I know how much of each to add, or no need to add.
5. Add in sliced onions and fry until onion has wilted slightly and cooked.
6. Dish the sambal into a bowl and set aside.

Plating of the Nasi Lemak:

1. Remove the pandan leaves, ginger and lemongrass (if using) from the pot. 
2. Scoop the rice onto a small bowl, use a rice cooker spatula to press the rice down so as to compact it, turn the bowl onto a plate, lift up the bowl and let the rice sit nicely on the serving dish.
3. Arrange all the other ingredients and sambal around the rice.
4. That's it... Nasi Lemak is ready to be served.

Notes:

1. Leftover sambal can be kept in an airtight container and store in the fridge.  It can also be serve over any rice meals, with normal rice.
2. With leftover sambal in the fridge, we tend to cook Nasi Lemak more often.

This recipe is adapted from 'Cook We Like' Youtube Video with slight amendments to ease my cooking.