This Nasi Lemak post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer.
Nasi lemak is an aromatic Southeast Asian staple dish featuring rice cooked in fragrant coconut milk and fresh pandan leaves. Widely considered as the national dish of Malaysia and very popular in Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia, nasi lemak is typically eaten for breakfast or lunch.
What makes nasi lemak special
Traditionally, nasi lemak is wrapped in a banana leaf, which imparts a subtle, earthy aroma to the rice and acts as a convenient yet eco-friendly wrapper. Sambal chilli, peanuts, ikan bilis (deep fried anchovies) and cucumber slices are added to the rice which makes the whole combination really delicious.
I remembered the best version I had before was when I was little, visiting my grandma in Batu Pahat. My uncle bought from a local vendor some banana leaf wrapped nasi lemak in very small portions. I can literally taste the fresh coconut aroma coated around each grain of rice. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to find such taste in most food courts and hawker centres today. I find most nasi lemak rice pale, dry, and faintly scented — a far cry from what it should be. The coconut aroma, which is the soul of the dish, is often too diluted.
What to eat nasi lemak with
The version today is paired with many different side dishes such as the achar which is tangy, spiced pickled vegetables, crispy fried chicken which is a crowd favourite, or rendang chicken or beef or mutton or deep fried fish, and a soft-boiled or fried sunny side up egg. Cool cucumber slices are a great fresh contrast that balance out the spicy sambal chilli.
Tips on making nasi lemak
If you’re making nasi lemak at home, a few tips go a long way.
- Use freshly squeezed coconut milk preferably, not the carton or canned type. It’s difficult to buy freshly grated coconut these days though, so use the carton or canned ones as the last resort.
- Wash the rice a couple of times until the water runs clear. Once the rice is cooked, let it continue to steam in the pot (but turn off the heat) for 15 minutes, then fluff the rice after 15 minutes.
- Don’t skimp on the fresh pandan leaves (screwpine leaves), the leaves provide a very aromatic fragrance to the rice.
- Cook the rice low and slow so the fragrance of coconut and pandan leaves are fully absorbed.
Ingredients to make nasi lemak
The key ingredients are straightforward:
- The best type of rice to use is Thai jasmine rice, IMHO. Of course, you can also use other types of rice such as basmati rice or pearl rice.
- Freshly squeezed coconut milk, if not available, use canned or carton coconut milk.
- Fresh pandan leaves or screwpine leaves. Wash it clean as the leaves are usually soiled. Bundle the leaves and tie a knot, then add it to the rice completely soaked in the water to cook.
- Fresh cucumber sliced to be served on the side.
- Sambal chilli is a non-negotiable. Check out this recipe to make your own or you can also use storebought version.
- Other sides that can be served together: achar, fried ikan bilis or anchovies, fried chicken, fried eggs or hard-boiled eggs.
How to store
Store leftover rice in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to another day at most. Simply reheat gently with a splash of water on the rice to restore moisture. As the rice is cooked with coconut milk, it’s not advisable to keep the rice for too long.
Pin now, cook later
Nasi Lemak (Coconut Pandan Rice) 斑斓椰浆饭
Ingredients
- 1 cup Thai jasmine rice, basmati or pearl rice is ok too
- 2 stalks pandan leaves, washed
Coconut Milk
- 2 cups freshly grated coconut
- 1.25 cup water
Instructions
Make coconut milk
- Add 2 cups freshly grated coconut to 1.25 cup water. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Sift the mixture, yielding 1.25 cups of coconut milk.Note: if freshly grated coconut is not available, you can use canned or carton coconut milk.
Stove top method
- Wash the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear.
- Add 1.25 cups of coconut milk, 1 cup Thai jasmine rice and 2 stalks pandan leaves (knotted) into a pot.Keep the lid on to cover the post. Turn on high heat until boiling. Then turn to simmering heat once it starts boiling. Once there's not more bubbling, turn the heat off.
- Keep the pot covered for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pandan leaves and use a fork to fluff the rice. Rice is now ready to serve.
Rice cooker method
- Wash the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear.
- Add 1.25 cups of coconut milk, 1 cup Thai jasmine rice and 2 stalks pandan leaves (knotted) into the rice cooker pot. Turn on rice cooking mode. After the rice is cooked, keep the rice cooker covered for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pandan leaves and use a fork to fluff the rice. Rice is now ready to serve.
Serve with condiments
- Serve with cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs, achar, fried chicken, sambal chilli.
Notes
- Achar – A must have pickled vegetables that adds a contrasting tang to this aromatic dish.
- Fried chicken – I used air fryer to cook the chicken which is much healthier as it uses lesser oil to cook.
- Sambal chilli – nothing beat home made sambal chilli, you can control the quality of ingredients and oil, and the amount of salt and sugar.
Leave a Reply