Nasi lemak, which means “creamy rice” in Malay, looks deceptively easy to make, but a lot of thought goes into every single component of this dish. Here’s everything you need to make nasi lemak right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Coconut rice
2 cups of basmati rice
2 cups of water
1 cup of coconut milk
6 pandan leaves
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp ground ginger
4 banana leaves
Sambal belacan
1 cube belacan (dried shrimp paste)
1 tbsp dried shrimps
400g of shallots
30 dried red chilies
5 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 medium onion
8 candlenuts/macadamia nuts
½ cup groundnut
¼ cup of tamarind juice
3 tbsp of ketcap manis (sweet soy sauce)
Chicken wings (8 pieces)
½ tbsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp white pepper powder
3 tbsp corn flour
6 tbsp rice flour
3 eggs
Garnishings
1 cup of ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
1 cup of raw peanuts
4 eggs
1 otah
Half a cucumber
Method
- Rinse the rice grains with water until the water runs clear. Place the rice, 2 cups of water, coconut milk, pandan leaves, sugar and salt, in a rice cooker or in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Blend the belacan, shallots, onion slices, fresh chilies, garlic, lemongrass, and candlenuts until it becomes a smooth paste.
- Fry the paste over medium-low heat for 10 minutes and stir repeatedly. Add tamarind juice and ketcap manis (amount depends on how sweet you want the sambal to be). If the paste is too dry, add a small amount of water. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until it thickens.
- Rinse the ikan bilis and drain it. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the ikan bilis in a wok over high heat for 8 minutes. Or toast it in a preheated oven (at 180 degrees Celsius) for 25-30 minutes until they become dry and crisp.
- Prepare a marinade using turmeric powder, salt, corn flour, rice flour, white pepper powder and eggs. Allow it to settle for 10 minutes. Dip chicken wings in the marinade and fry until golden-brown over medium heat for 4 minutes. Let them cool.
- Cook each egg separately in a pan over medium-high heat. Wait for the eggs to set slightly before ladling hot oil over the tops repeatedly until the eggs have golden, crispy edges.
- Serve a scoop of coconut rice onto a banana leaf. Add ikan bilis, peanuts, sliced cucumber, egg, 1-2 chicken wings, and sambal belacan on the side.
Don’t forget to check out our top picks of where you can enjoy this yummy dish!
Read more about Singapore’s local cuisine at www.YourSingapore.com.