Other world recipe

Nasi Lemak

Name: Nasi Lemak
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Other world cuisines
Ingredients: 400 g jasmine rice, rinsed and drained; 250 ml coconut milk; 250 ml water; 2 pandan leaves, knotted; 150 g dried anchovies; 120 g raw peanuts; 4 eggs; 1 cucumber, sliced; 120 g shallots, peeled; 20 g dried red chillies, soaked; 15 g belacan or shrimp paste; 30 ml tamarind water; 30 g palm sugar; 90 ml neutral oil, divided

Pandan-scented coconut rice is served with anchovy sambal, crisp peanuts, cucumber and egg.

Malay Peninsula; a Malaysian nasi lemak set, with accompaniments that vary by household and vendor

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Servings: 4

Malaysian nasi lemak with pandan coconut rice, anchovy sambal, peanuts, egg and cucumber — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by JpatokalSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

400 g
jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
250 ml
coconut milk
250 ml
water
2
pandan leaves, knotted
150 g
dried anchovies
120 g
raw peanuts
4
eggs
1
cucumber, sliced
120 g
shallots, peeled
20 g
dried red chillies, soaked
15 g
belacan or shrimp paste
30 ml
tamarind water
30 g
palm sugar
90 ml
neutral oil, divided

Method

01
Cook the coconut rice
Combine rice, coconut milk, water and knotted pandan in a rice cooker or covered pot. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, then leave covered to rest.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Blend the sambal base
Drain the soaked chillies. Blend them with shallots and belacan to a coarse paste, adding a spoonful of water only if needed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Cook the anchovy sambal
Heat half the oil over medium heat. Fry the paste until fragrant and glossy, then stir in tamarind water and palm sugar. Simmer until thick, then fold in half the anchovies.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Fry the peanuts and anchovies
Heat the remaining oil in a small pan. Fry the peanuts until golden and crunchy, then fry the remaining anchovies until crisp; drain both on a rack.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Cook the eggs and cucumber
Boil the eggs until the centres are set to your preference, cool briefly, peel and halve. Slice the cucumber and arrange it for plating.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Fluff and assemble
Remove the pandan and fluff the coconut rice. Serve each portion with sambal, egg, cucumber, peanuts and crisp anchovies, keeping the textures in separate sections.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Serve while warm
Serve the rice warm with all accompaniments visible. Diners can combine sambal and sides to taste at the table.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Rinse rice until the water is nearly clear, then drain it well so the measured cooking liquid stays predictable.
Rest the covered rice off the heat before fluffing so steam finishes the centre and the grains stay intact.

Common mistakes

Lifting the lid repeatedly releases steam and leaves the top undercooked; wait until the stated check before opening.
A strong boil can scorch the base before the grains soften; lower the heat as soon as the pot simmers.

Substitutions

Long-grain rice works well for a fluffy result; follow the package liquid ratio if the variety differs.
Vegetable stock can replace chicken stock in a meat-free version; use unsalted stock and adjust at the end.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat once until steaming hot throughout.

Cultural context

Nasi lemak means rich or creamy rice and is closely associated with Malay foodways. Coconut milk and pandan scent the rice; sambal and common sides include anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber, while vendors and households add their own accompaniments.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Nasi lemak on banana leaf.jpg — Photograph by Jpatokal; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

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Nasi Lemak

Ingredients

Method

Cook the coconut rice

Blend the sambal base

Cook the anchovy sambal

Fry the peanuts and anchovies

Cook the eggs and cucumber

Fluff and assemble

Serve while warm

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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