How to make the perfect nasi lemak – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to Make the Perfect…
Described by the Malay Mail as the country's "undisputed national dish", nasi lemak (which literally translates to "rich rice") is so popular in its country of origin that one in two people polled in a recent survey chose it as their all-time favorite breakfast, and it inspired spin-offs from McDonald's hamburger ice cream.
Like many of these comfort foods, its charm lies in its versatility; in its simplest form, nasi lemak is just a fluffy, aromatic pile of rice with spicy sambal and a crunchy filling, all served in a banana leaf, although today it is often accompanied heartier dishes, such as rendang or fried chicken, and eaten for lunch and dinner as well.
Many online sections have been devoted to finding the best nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, but if you're not lucky enough to have a Malaysian restaurant or hawker center around the corner, try this recipe to see why it is, in the words of Zaleha Kadir Olpin, Kuantan-born fan and contestant for MasterChef, Malaysia's "most iconic dish".
Rice alt="Sharon Wee's nasi lemak: the more coconut the better." src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5d497b4b5d142db07cd02a531fc46124febe9746/0_0_3024_3780/master/3024.jpg?width=140&quality=85&fit=max&s=c1bfcb6cc70f1cc3d006c0df35" class="le-lazycc >This is the backbone of nasi lemak, and the recipes I try are split between recommending basmati or jasmine for this purpose, both to long grains prized for their aromatic qualities Sharon Wee, author of Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen, prefers not to use jasmine because "the scent of the rice somewhat saps all the essence that comes from the pandan leaves and the milk of coco" that come in. Instead, she calls for single long grains, which also have the advantage of being cheaper. However, if you already have basmati or jasmine on hand, one or the other will work well; I slightly prefer the fluffier texture of the first.
Rather than water, the rice is usually cooked in a mela nge of coconut milk and water or, in the case of Kadir Olpin, just coconut milk; Wee explains that the more coconut you use, the more "lemak" the finished dish, so even though I suggested the same half and half ratio as her, with a dollop of coconut cream mixed in at the end , if you like, feel free to adjust it to your liking.
Wee and Kadir Olpin recommend using a rice...
Described by the Malay Mail as the country's "undisputed national dish", nasi lemak (which literally translates to "rich rice") is so popular in its country of origin that one in two people polled in a recent survey chose it as their all-time favorite breakfast, and it inspired spin-offs from McDonald's hamburger ice cream.
Like many of these comfort foods, its charm lies in its versatility; in its simplest form, nasi lemak is just a fluffy, aromatic pile of rice with spicy sambal and a crunchy filling, all served in a banana leaf, although today it is often accompanied heartier dishes, such as rendang or fried chicken, and eaten for lunch and dinner as well.
Many online sections have been devoted to finding the best nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, but if you're not lucky enough to have a Malaysian restaurant or hawker center around the corner, try this recipe to see why it is, in the words of Zaleha Kadir Olpin, Kuantan-born fan and contestant for MasterChef, Malaysia's "most iconic dish".
Rice alt="Sharon Wee's nasi lemak: the more coconut the better." src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5d497b4b5d142db07cd02a531fc46124febe9746/0_0_3024_3780/master/3024.jpg?width=140&quality=85&fit=max&s=c1bfcb6cc70f1cc3d006c0df35" class="le-lazycc >This is the backbone of nasi lemak, and the recipes I try are split between recommending basmati or jasmine for this purpose, both to long grains prized for their aromatic qualities Sharon Wee, author of Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen, prefers not to use jasmine because "the scent of the rice somewhat saps all the essence that comes from the pandan leaves and the milk of coco" that come in. Instead, she calls for single long grains, which also have the advantage of being cheaper. However, if you already have basmati or jasmine on hand, one or the other will work well; I slightly prefer the fluffier texture of the first.
Rather than water, the rice is usually cooked in a mela nge of coconut milk and water or, in the case of Kadir Olpin, just coconut milk; Wee explains that the more coconut you use, the more "lemak" the finished dish, so even though I suggested the same half and half ratio as her, with a dollop of coconut cream mixed in at the end , if you like, feel free to adjust it to your liking.
Wee and Kadir Olpin recommend using a rice...
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