Here's a detailed traditional recipe for Nasi Lemak, Malaysia’s national dish

 

Here's a detailed traditional recipe for Nasi Lemak, Malaysia’s national dish. It's a fragrant coconut milk rice dish served with spicy sambal, fried crispy anchovies, roasted peanuts, boiled eggs, cucumber, and a protein (often fried chicken or rendang).

Traditional recipe of Malaysia Nasi Lemak:

Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal and Sides)

Ingredients

For the Coconut Rice:

• 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice (preferably long-grain)
• 1 ½ cups thick coconut milk
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 pandan leaf (tied in a knot) – optional but traditional
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 slices of ginger
• 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised)

For the Sambal (Spicy Chili Paste):

• 10 dried red chilies (soaked in hot water for 15–20 min)
• 5 fresh red chilies (optional, for more heat)
• 5 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small red onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste) – toasted (optional)
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste or 1 tbsp tamarind pulp in ¼ cup warm water (strained)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp oil

For the Sides:

• 4 eggs (boiled and halved)
• ½ cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis), cleaned
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• 1 cucumber (sliced)
• Optional: Fried chicken, beef rendang, or sambal sotong

Instructions:

• Prepare the Coconut Rice: Wash the rice 2–3 times until the water runs clear. Drain well. In a rice cooker or pot, add rice, coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, salt, ginger, and lemongrass. Cook until rice is done and fluffy. If using a pot, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Make the Sambal:

• Blend dried chilies, fresh chilies, shallots, and garlic into a smooth paste using a little soaking water if needed.
• Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the red onion slices until soft.
• Add the blended chili paste and shrimp paste. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for 10–15 minutes until oil separates and the paste darkens.
• Add tamarind paste, sugar, and salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste (should be spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet).
• Set aside.

Prepare the Sides:

Fried Anchovies:

• Heat oil in a pan and fry cleaned anchovies in batches until crispy.
• Drain on paper towels.

Boiled Eggs:

• Boil eggs for 8–10 minutes, peel, and slice in half.

Roasted Peanuts:

• Dry-roast peanuts in a pan until fragrant or use pre-roasted ones.

Assemble the Nasi Lemak:

• On a banana leaf or plate, place a mound of coconut rice in the centre.
• Spoon sambal on the side.
• Add a few slices of cucumber, a halved boiled egg, a spoonful of fried anchovies, and roasted peanuts.
• Optionally, add fried chicken, beef rendang, or sambal squid as your protein.

Serving Suggestion

Traditionally served on a banana leaf for added aroma, Nasi Lemak is eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner across Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.