NASI LEMAK – Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaf, served with sambal, crispy anchovies, toasted peanuts, hard-boiled eggs and cucumber.
We can safely say that nasi lemak is a common food that unites us Malaysians. It is truly a dish that symbolises the diversity of our country.
Whenever we are out of the country for a period of time, the first thing we do when we touched down Malaysia is to grab a plate of our national dish that we were deprived of so badly while being abroad; the comfort food we long for most.
Have you tried making Nasi Lemak at home but somehow something just seemed to be missing?
It is actually not difficult to cook this traditional dish. There are many ways to cook nasi lemak with the most common being just boiling rice with santan but that won’t make this dish stand out.
We need more than just rice and coconut milk to make an outstanding nasi lemak. A good nasi lemak should have amazing texture and flavours. I’ve got the secret to just that which I learned from my Mom.
Pandan leaves is an important ingredient for an out of this world nasi lemak. The leaves are highly fragrant with floral hints. But that is not the entire secret.
Psst…here is the Main Secret: FENUGREEK!
The main secret behind nasi lemak’s delectable taste is FENUGREEK. I know, some of you must be thinking, what on Earth is fenugreek?
Does biji halba ring a bell to you? Yes, fenugreek is halba.
Fenugreek is a wonder herb that is primarily used as a culinary spice in many countries but studies found the seeds to be excellent for nursing mothers as well (as it helped in the production of breast milk).
It also gives Nasi Lemak its unique flavour.
This is the best nasi lemak recipe that you should really try for yourself. Once you’ve mastered this recipe (that can rival the nasi lemak from the best restaurant in town), you won’t be deprived of our national dish ever again.
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes (depending on your rice cooker)
Serving size: 5 pax
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves Garlic (julienne cut)
- 2 Shallot (sliced)
- 1 inch ginger (knocked)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (halba)
- 2 pandan leaves
- 5 cups of rice
- 200ml coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Water
Method:
- Knock ginger
- Rinse fenugreek
- Rinse rice and drain excess water
- Add coconut milk into the pot
- Add the balance of water just as how you’d usually cook rice
- Add shallot, garlic, ginger, fenugreek and salt to taste
- Throw in the knotted pandan leaves
- Stir
- Cook the rice just like cooking the usual steamed white rice
- Once done, fluff the rice
- Serve on a banana leaf with condiments such as sambal, crispy anchovies, toasted peanuts, hard-boiled eggs, turmeric chicken and cucumber.
Another secret: Adds in Bunga Telang juice to get a more beautiful hue and flavour.
Watch this video to see how easy it is to cook the best Nasi Lemak that everyone loves!
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