Nasi lemak recipe: Authentic Malaysian dish made easy

Ingredients for Nasi lemak

• 100 g dried paper lantern chiles, dried bird chiles, or dried chiles de árbol

• 480 ml vegetable oil

• 75 g red-skin Spanish peanuts

• 300 g small dried anchovies

• 2 medium shallots, halved

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 Holland chiles, stems removed, halved lengthwise

• 20 g sugar

• 7.5 g tamarind concentrate

• 480 ml jasmine rice

• 5 g kosher salt

• 3 pandan leaves (optional)

• 120 ml light unsweetened coconut milk

• 4 large eggs

• ½ English hothouse cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

• Soy sauce (for serving)

How to make Nasi lemak

1. Chop the paper lantern chiles into 1.5 cm pieces, discarding most of the seeds that fall out. Place them in a small bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. Let them sit for 30 minutes to soften, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and peanuts in a small saucepan over medium heat until gently simmering; cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until the peanuts are golden brown, about 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peanuts to paper towels to drain and set aside for serving.

3. Immediately add the anchovies to the oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper towels and let cool. Set aside 60 ml of the oil for later use.

4. In a food processor, pulse the shallots, garlic, and 60 ml of the fried anchovies (reserve the remaining anchovies for serving) until a smooth paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

5. Add the drained paper lantern and Holland chiles to the food processor (there's no need to clean it) and pulse until very smooth, ensuring no visible pieces of dried chile remain. Transfer the chile purée to a small bowl.

6. Heat the reserved oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shallot mixture and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly in colour and becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.

7. Mix in the chile purée and cook, stirring often, until it starts to stick to the bottom of the frying pan, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.

8. Add the sugar, tamarind concentrate, and 60 ml of water. Cook, stirring often, until the sambal is much darker in colour and thickened, about 25–35 minutes.

9. Do Ahead: Sambal ikan bilis can be made up to 1 week in advance. Let it cool, then cover and chill.

10. Place the rice in a medium saucepan and pour in cold water to cover. Swirl the rice with your hands to rinse away some of the starch. Drain and repeat this process 2 more times, until the water is just slightly cloudy.

11. Return the rinsed rice to the saucepan and cover with 625 ml of cold water; stir in the salt. Gather the pandan leaves (if using) together and tie them into a knot, then add to the pan.

12. Bring the rice to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low; cook for 18 minutes.

13. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk. Cover again, remove from heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

14. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the water and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them cool. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.

15. In a medium bowl, combine the sambal ikan bilis, reserved fried peanuts, and reserved fried anchovies, tossing to evenly coat.

16. Scoop a generous 120 ml of the sambal mixture into a 340 ml bowl. Top with 1.5 cups of rice and pack it into the bowl with a rubber spatula to compress, ensuring the bowl is filled to the rim.

17. Place a slightly larger bowl upside down over the bowl of rice. Invert so the larger bowl is now on the bottom, then lift off the smaller bowl. You should have a dome of rice and anchovy mixture nestled in the centre of the larger bowl.

18. Arrange 8 slices of cucumber around the rice dome, overlapping slightly to create a semicircle. Add 2 egg halves to the side of the rice without cucumber slices, seasoning the yolks lightly with soy sauce.

19. Repeat the process with the remaining rice, sambal mixture, cucumbers, and eggs to create 3 more bowls.

Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.