yapyinwah@hotmail.com
Nasi Lemak is Malaysia’s national dish, known for its fragrant coconut rice, spicy sambal, and classic sides like crispy anchovies and boiled eggs. This authentic Malaysian-style recipe is easy to follow and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse jasmine rice until water runs clear.
- Add rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and pandan leaf to a rice cooker.
- Cook until rice is fluffy, then fluff gently and keep warm.
- Blend soaked dried chilies, onion, garlic, ginger, and shrimp paste into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Fry the sambal paste until fragrant and oil separates.
- Add tamarind water, sugar, and salt.
- Simmer until thick and dark red, then stir in anchovies.
- Fry anchovies until crispy.
- Roast peanuts until golden.
- Boil eggs, peel, and cut in half.
- Slice cucumber.
- Serve coconut rice with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, egg, and cucumber.
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Coconut Rice
- Wash rice and drain well.
- Add rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and pandan leaf to rice cooker.
- Cook until fluffy.
Step 2: Prepare Sambal Paste
- Blend chilies, onion, garlic, ginger, and shrimp paste.
- Blend until smooth.
Step 3: Cook the Sambal
- Heat oil and fry paste until fragrant.
- Add tamarind water, sugar, and salt.
- Simmer until thick and dark red.
Step 4: Prepare the Sides
- Fry anchovies until crispy
- Roast peanuts
- Boil eggs and slice
- Cut cucumber
Step 5: Assemble Nasi Lemak
- Scoop coconut rice onto plate
- Add sambal
- Arrange egg, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber
- Serve warm
“Tips & Variations”
Bullet points:
- Sambal tastes better overnight
- Serve with fried chicken or rendang
- Use palm sugar for authentic taste
