Nasi Lemak with Sambal and Fried Chicken
The national breakfast (and lunch, and dinner). Fragrant coconut rice, crispy ikan bilis and peanuts, cucumber, egg, and the all-important spicy-sweet sambal.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati or Jasmine rice
- 200ml thick coconut milk + water to fill pot
- 3 pandan leaves, knotted
- 1 slice ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- Sides: Fried Ikan Bilis, Roasted Peanuts, Cucumber slices, Hard-boiled Eggs
- Sambal: Dried chillies, belacan, onions, tamarind juice, sugar
Instructions
Cook the Rice
Wash rice until water runs clear. Add coconut milk, salt, ginger, and pandan leaves. Add water to the usual level for your rice cooker. Cook as normal. Fluff with a fork immediately when done.
Make the Sambal
Blend dried chillies, toasted belacan, and onions into a paste. Fry in oil until 'pecah minyak' (oil separates). Add tamarind juice, sugar, and salt. Cook until it turns a deep dark red. This takes patience!
Fry Garnishes
Fry the dried anchovies (ikan bilis) until crispy. Roast the peanuts with a pinch of salt. Slice the cucumber.
Assemble
Serve a mound of aromatic coconut rice with a generous dollop of sambal, the fried sides, and a hard-boiled or fried egg.
Chef's Note
"If you can't get fresh coconut milk, canned is fine, but add a pinch more salt. The key fragrance comes from the pandan leaves—bruise them before knotting to release more oils."
