Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal)

Ingredients

For 5 portions

• 🍚 400g white rice (dry)
• 🥥 400ml coconut milk, canned
• 🥤 250ml tap water
• 🌿 3 leaves pandan leaves
• 🪴 10g ginger
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🌶️ 25g sun dried chillies
• 🧅 120g shallots
• 🧄 4 cloves garlic
• 🦐 1 Tsp shrimp paste
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🫛 1 Tbsp tamarind
• 🍚 2 Tbsp sugar
• 🏺 6 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 🐟 60g dried anchovies
• 🥜 80g peanuts
• 🍳 5 medium egg
• 🥒 200g cucumber

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Put it in a pan with the coconut milk, water, knotted pandan leaves, sliced ginger and salt. Bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. Leave covered off the heat for 10 minutes.
2. For the sambal, soak the dried chillies in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain. Blend with 80 g of the shallots, the garlic, shrimp paste and a splash of water to a smooth paste.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a pan over a medium-low heat. Fry the paste for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until dark red and the oil separates. Add the sliced onion, tamarind, sugar and a splash of water and simmer for 5 minutes until thick and glossy.
4. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool and halve.
5. In a frying pan, fry the dried anchovies in the remaining oil for 3–4 minutes until crisp, then lift out. Fry the peanuts in the same oil for 3 minutes until golden. Fry the remaining sliced shallots until crisp, if you like.
6. Slice the cucumber.
7. Serve mounds of the coconut rice with a spoonful of sambal, the anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber around it.