Nasi Lemak. Couldn't get any better than this!!!

In Malaysia, Nasi Lemak has been proclaimed as their national dish.  It is available almost everywhere and strangely enough, at almost any time of the day.  Traditionally it was intended as a breakfast dish, but can be eaten at lunchtime as it is still classified as an informal dish and is readily available from street hawkers.  The entire contents of Nasi Lemak are parceled neatly, enveloped in banana leaves, that makes for a handy take-away package to-go.  Well, I have not been to Malaysia yet, and until then, it's a bowl of cereal and milk for my breakfast, but Nasi Lemak has long been one of my favourite Malaysian orders - for lunch or dinner that is.   
The national dish of Malaysia is a tough act for me to take on, but being the humble foodie that I am, I give it a good crack and it has always been a winner.  The wow factor is also in the simple plating up where the use of a small bowl to create that restaurant-looking mound of rice garners some attention from awaiting diners at the dinner table - it says that this is going to be one special dish!
There are four major components that bring this tasty platter together and they all co-exist in perfect harmony.

1. The Curry, my preference is with Beef Rendang, but chicken and seafood based curries can also feature.  These curries are usually nice and spicy.
2. The Coconut Rice, it fills your kitchen with a wonderful aroma and is perfectly balanced with the spicy curries
3. The Sambal, this sweet, sour and hot paste is highlighted by the fishy flavour of the dried anchovies used in making it
4. Condiments, providing extra crunch and texture additions to culminate the dish 

Coconut Rice

This is probably what makes or breaks a good Nasi Lemak for me (that is apart from the Rendang needing to be superb).  The rice needs to be fluffy and enormously fragrant.  I use jasmine rice as it puffs up really well and it is a little more glutinous than basmati so it sticks together better - but either will do.  I highly recommend getting your hands on pandan (screwpine) leaves.  For a while these were quite hard to find but now Asian grocers have them in the frozen section.  These leaves will give your rice that ultimate authentic flavour that the Malaysians love to use, even in their desserts.  Tie each leaf into a tight knot before using as this will help to bring out the flavour and infuse the rice.  

Ingredients, to serve 5

2 cups x Jasmine rice, rinsed and drained

1½ cups x Cold Water

1 cup x Coconut Milk

3-4 x Shallots, finely diced

1-2 x Slices of Ginger, thick cut

2 x Pandan leaves, each tied into a knot

1tsp x Sugar

Salt to taste

Put all ingredients into a large non-stick pot.  

Cover with a lid and place on high heat

Bring to a boil then immediately move pot to the hob with the lowest heat

Cook the rice without removing the lid for 15 minutes

Use a fork to fluff the rice then place lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes

Remove pot from the heat and allow to stand with the lid still covered

Discard pandan leaves and ginger before serving.  

Sambal Ikan Bilis 

This is a recipe for a more traditional style sambal made with dried anchovies or Ikan Bilis. You can blend the paste ingredients in a food processor but grinding it by hand has a much better consistency - and more satisfaction for the cook.  For a hotter sambal do not remove the seeds from the chillies.
Ingredients

1 cup x Ikan Bilis, rinsed in cold water, then drained with paper towel

1Tbsp x Brown Sugar

Salt to taste

In a mortar and pestle grind the following to a smooth paste:
8-10 x Dried Chillies, remove seeds and soak in warm water
½ x Red Onion, finely diced, (finely slice other ½ for use later in the recipe)

2 x Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp x Belachan

Directions

Shallow fry the Ikan Bilis in batches, in a skillet on medium heat, be careful not to burn the tiny dried fish

Drain on paper towels and keep aside
Reserve any remaining oil
Place skillet on medium heat again and add remaining onion slices and a sprinkle of salt
Cook the onions down to a golden brown, do not allow these to burn
Turn out the sambal mix into the skillet and stir fry for 1-2 minutes
Add the fried Ikan Bilis to the dish and fold through to combine
Add Brown Sugar and stir through
Season with Salt to taste

Other condiments

Roasted peanuts, these can be dry roasted in a fry pan

Crispy fried Ikan Bilis, when preparing the sambal reserve a small handful of these 

Boiled egg, cut in half

Cucumber, sliced

Assembling the dish

Start by filling a small round bowl with spoonfuls of rice.  Pack it down firmly and smooth out the top.Turn upside down onto a serving plate and tap to release a half sphere of rice.Now add a generous serve of the curry, be it a Beef Rendang or Chicken Curry.Next a dash of Sambal.And finally arrange the other condiments around the plate.You now have Nasi Lemak - Enjoy!!!

Malaysian Style Sambal Recipes

I love Sambal - I could probably eat it with a plate of steamed rice alone, because it is so flavoursome. The main Sambals that I create have a Malaysian influence and I am yet to create those from Indonesia. They all seem to have similar ingredients - covering the usual hot - from the chillies, sour from the tamarind, sweet from the sugar and salt from the shrimp paste. Try the two fairly easy ones I have posted. They go great with just about any Asian dish.
Basic Sambal Paste
This is a simple, easy to make Malaysian style sambal paste and does not take very long to make and even quicker to eat. These simple condiments pack a blast of flavour and will leave your taste buds wanting more and more.
In a small food processor blend the following ingredients to a thick paste:
2 Tbsp Chilli Paste (Sambal Olek)
1 x Red Onion, roughly chopped
1 Garlic cloves, chopped
2tsp of Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Tamarind Concentrate (or ½ cup of Tamarind puree)
1 x cup of chopped Dried Prawns or 2Tbsp of Belachan
Directions
Add water if necessary to achieve right consistency
Turn out paste into a wok
Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes then add a few drops of Sunflower Oil to give the sambal a glossy sheen.
Now this basic sambal is ready add zing to some pretty bland staples. Stir through steamed vegetables such as Asparagus, Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower and even Boiled Eggs to create a great accompaniment to a mains dish. If you double the ingredients you could make enough to stir through cooked prawns or even on pan fried fillets of your favourite white fish - and serve it as a main meal.
The sambal will keep if refrigerated, in a airtight jar for about 2 weeks - But really!!! It has never even made it that long without being eaten.

Sambal Ikan Bilis
This is a recipe for a more traditional style sambal made with dried anchovies or Ikan Bilis. You can blend the paste ingredients in a food processor but grinding it by hand has a much better consistency - and more satisfaction for the cook. Use dried chillies and soak them in warm water before preparing the mix.
Ingredients:

1 x cup of Ikan Bilis, rinsed in cold water

8-10 Dried Chillies, stalks and seeds removed and roughly chopped
½ Red Onion, finely diced, (finely slice other half for use later in the recipe)
2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp of Belachan 

Directions

Shallow fry the Ikan Bilis in batches, in a skillet on medium heat, be careful not to burn the tiny dried fish
Drain on paper towels and keep aside
Reserve any remaining oil
In a mortar and pestle grind the remaining ingredients to a smooth paste

Place skillet on medium heat again and add remaining onion slices and a sprinkle of salt 

Cook the onions down to a golden brown, do not allow these to burn
Turn out the sambal mix into the skillet and stir fry for 1-2 minutes
Add the fried Ikan Bilis to the dish and fold through to combine
Add 1Tbsp of Brown Sugar and stir through
Season with Salt to taste
Serve as an accompaniment to a mains dish or if you must – feel free to eat it with a plate of steamed rice and a fried egg - I do!.
This sambal has a longer shelf life of up to 4 weeks in the fridge but once again - why would you want to keep it so lonely in your fridge for so long.