Nasi Lemak is the de-facto national dish of Malaysia. Nasi Lemak is usually served in the morning as breakfast. The toppings include anchovies sambal, hard-boiled eggs, fried fish and shrimp. Other common toppings include roasted peanuts and cucumber slices.
This pack of banana leaf-wrapped Nasi Lemak is fiery and very delicious–probably one of the best you can find in Penang. It’s available at Sri Weld Hawker Center at Beach Street, Georgetown, Penang. By the way, Georgetown has just been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site; other than lip-smackingly great food, there are lots of heritage buildings and hidden treasures in the city of Georgetown…
Recipe: Nasi Lemak
Ingredients:
Coconut Milk Steamed Rice
2 cups of rice
3 screwpine leaves (tie them into a knot as shown above)
Salt to taste
1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
Some water
3 screwpine leaves (tie them into a knot as shown above)
Salt to taste
1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
Some water
Tamarind Juice
1 cup of water
Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)
Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)
Sambal Ikan Bilis (Dried anchovies sambal)
1/2 red onion
1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
Other ingredients
2 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)
3 small fish (sardines or smelt fish)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)
3 small fish (sardines or smelt fish)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)
Method:
- Just like making steamed rice, rinse your rice and drain. Add the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and some water. Add the pandan leaves into the rice and cook your rice.
- Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.
- Pound the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, and deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle. You can also grind them with a food processor.
- Slice the red onion into rings.
- Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
- Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant.
- Add in the onion rings.
- Add in the ikan bilis and stir well.
- Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.
- Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.
- Clean the small fish, cut them into half and season with salt. Deep fry.
- Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.
- Dish up the steamed coconut milk rice and pour some sambal ikan bilis on top of the rice.
- Serve with fried fish, cucumber slices, and hard-boiled eggs.
