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NASI LEMAK (COCONUT MILK RICE)

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Nasi Lemak Recipe (Coconut Milk Rice) | Huang Kitchen

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About: Angie Liew (known as Huang) is the founder and author of Huang Kitchen. Being a self taught chef, she focuses on
improving cooking recipes, documenting and creating step-by-step how to guides. Her recipes span… More About Huang
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Nasi lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and screw pine leaves. It is commonly
found in countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It is one of the most popular dish for
the Malay-type breakfast and is a great party dish.

A truly remarkable Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice) is not to be taken lightly. It constitutes of
good quality rice cooked in rich and creamy coconut milk with screw pine leaves infused during
the cooking process to create the best !avours and texture. Hence much e"ort is required to
prepare this legendary dish. It is always served with a good chili sauce (sambal) alongside other
condiments.

Ingredients:

{Coconut Milk Rice}

1 kg rice, preferably basmati rice

6 cups water

200 ml Thick coconut milk (1 coconut)

3 pandan leaves/screwpine leaves, knotted and slightly bruised

2 stick lemongrass, bruised

1 ginger, crushed

1 tsp sugar, to taste

2 tsp salt, to taste

{Chilli Anchovies}

3 cups dried anchovies

1 cup oil

3 cloves garlic

12 shallots

30 dried chillies

3 tsp prawn paste

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

3 red onions, cut into rings/strips

1 tamarind pulp, (3 ping pong size)

3 cups water (soaked tamarind pulp)

{Other Condiments}

6 eggs, hard boiled and cut into halves

1 cucumber, cut into slices

2 cups peanuts

See The Original Recipe On My Website

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Step 1: Start by Preparing the Coconut Milk Rice.

NASI LEMAK (COCONUT MILK RICE) by Huang Kitchen Follow Download Favorite % I Made It

First rinse the rice under cold, running water for a few minutes and drained. The water does not
need to run perfectly clear but rinsing helps get rid of starch that can make the rice sticky. Then
place the drained rice in a rice cooker.

Coconut Rice:

The rice must be good. Any types of rice can be used but use a good quality rice. Basmati rice is
perfect for this coconut milk rice.

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Step 2: Prepare the Coconut Milk to Cook the Rice.

Pour 50ml or 1/4 of the thick coconut milk (200ml / from 1 coconut) into a measuring cup. Then
dilute with some water.

Do not add in all the coconut milk right at the start as the oil in the coconut cream will prevent
the rice from cooking properly.

Add in salt and sugar and stir to mix. Do not add salt and sugar after rice is cooked as this will
cause the rice to be overly salty.

Coconut Milk:

Use thick coconut milk. This milky white liquid is obtained after adding water to freshly grated
coconut and giving it a good squeeze or press. The thickness or creaminess of coconut milk is
determined by the amount of water added. This squeezed coconut cream can also be store
bought.

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Step 3: Add Water and Watery Coconut Milk Into Rice.

Pour the coconut milk mixture into the drained rice in the rice cooker.

Add in additional water to make sure the volume of the watery coconut milk is the same as the
rice in volume. (Altogether about 6 cups).

Lastly add in crushed ginger, lemongrass and screw pine leaves .The crushed ginger, lemongrass
and screw pine leaves impart !avour and make the cooked coconut milk rice incredibly
aromatic.

Ratio of rice:water is 1:1.1

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Step 4: Begin to Cook the Rice.

Switch on the rice cooker and cook the rice.

Note:

You can also choose to use the traditional way of steaming the rice in a steamer instead of using
the rice cooker.

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Step 5: Continue to Cook the Rice.

When the rice reaches warming stage, add the balance (150ml) of the thick coconut milk and stir
the rice.

Close the lid pot and continue cooking until done. Flu" up the rice and serve it hot. And we're
done!

Note:

The coconut milk rice should be served hot so always warm up the rice before serving.

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Step 6: Prepare to Cook the Chilli Anchovies (sambal Ikan Bills).

The next thing to do well is the chilli anchovies sauce. Have ready all the ingredients needed.

Dried Chillies:

Use the wrinkled long variety which is less spicy compared to the smoother shorter ones. Soak
the dried chillies in hot water. When soft, snip into two and de-seed with a pair of scissors. Blend
into chilli paste.

Shallots and Garlic:

Use fresh varieties. Peel shallots and garlic. Blend coarsely.

Dried Shrimp paste:

A key ingredient in many classic chilli dishes. It's usually in the form of a small pressed cake. Not
overly #shy, a tiny amount of this paste makes a !avourful base and adding an intriguing taste
for the chilli sauce.

Tamarind Pulp:

A prominent souring agent. Soak in water to extract the juice.

Large Onions:

Choose the big and #rm variety.

Dried Anchovies:

Choose the medium-sized dried anchovies. Be sure to remove the head and insides of the
anchovies before frying.

Seasonings:

Adjust the taste of the chilli anchovies with salt and sugar.

Note:

This is not a dipping sauce. As it is to be eaten with the coconut milk rice in bigger portions, it
should not be too chilli-intense. It should also be sweeter, adding a contrast to the savoury
coconut milk rice. A GOOD coconut milk rice chilli sauce should be sweet with some salty and
sour undertones.

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Step 7: Blend the Chillies, Shallots and Garlic.

Start by blending soaked and deseeded dried chillies to chilli paste.

Also blend coarsely the peeled shallots and garlic.

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Step 8: Prepare Tamarind Juice.

Next, soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes.

Squeeze the tamarind to extract the !avour into the water.

Using a strainer, drain the pulp and keep the tamarind juice.

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Step 9: Deep Fry the Dried Anchovies.

First rinse the dried anchovies in cold water and leave to dry thoroughly.

Heat some oil in wok until almost smoking and fry the anchovies over low heat until they turn
light brown and crisps. Strain and set aside.

Note:

Remove the head and insides of dried anchovies. Otherwise it will taste bitter.

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Step 10: Cut the Big Onions.

Slice the onions into semi-thick rings. The bigger and #rmer the onion, the easier it will be to cut.

And we're ready to fry the chilli anchovies sauce (sambal ikan bilis).

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