Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)
4cups rice (I mix Jasmine rice and local rice)
150ml coconut milk
550ml water
5pcs pandan leaves (screwpine leaves)
1 and 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
3 slices ginger, shredded
Chili paste
20g dried chili, cut into two, boiled in hot water for 5mins
1 big onion
3 cloves garlic
1tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
2 slices blue ginger or ginger
Sambal chili paste
1 onion, sliced
30g tamarind paste, add 125ml water, remove seeds, to become tamarind water
30g ikan bilis (anchovies), deep fry and ground to fine powder
200ml water
¾ tsp salt or taste
1.5 tbsp sugar or taste
To assemble Nasi Lemak Bungkus
15 Banana leaves, washed and patted dry
15 sheets old newspaper
Accompaniments
Hard-boiled eggs
Deep fried anchovies
Roasted peanuts
Cucumber slices
Directions
Prep:2hr › Cook:2hr › Ready in:4hr
Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)
Place washed rice, salt and knotted pandan leaves in an electric rice cooker. Pour coconut milk, water, ginger and salt over the rice and leave to soak for 30mins (make it more fluffy).
Cook rice. Once “cooking” button auto switched to “keep warm” button. Then fluff the rice with a fork or chopsticks. Leave it warm in the rice cooker before serve.
Chili paste:
Blend all ingredients in electric blender to form a chili paste.
Sambal chili paste:
Heat oil in a wok, add in blended chili paste from previous step. Stir-fry over low medium heat till fragrant and oil separated, take about 20mins.
Add ikan bilis powder, tamarind water and water, keep stirring. Season with salt and sugar, add onion slices last. Cook to mix well for 1-2mins.
To assemble Nasi Lemak Bungkus:
Layer banana leaf on an old newspaper, the size of newspaper is slightly narrower and longer ( I did measured as the paper size 20x39cm, banana leaf size 23x23cm, this measurement is for your reference only)
Put hot coconut rice in the middle, sambal chili on top and accompaniments on the side.
Fold the top and bottom halves together in the middle. Press down the paper and banana leaf on the left and right to make flaps. Tuck the flaps underneath tightly. Enjoy it an hour later as to let rice to absorb banana leaf's fragrance.