Nasi Lemak (Malaysian Coconut Rice)
A Malaysian nasi lemak plate with coconut rice, sambal, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and egg.
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55 mintotal
Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Medium
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
No inactive time beyond the 5 minutes the rice sits covered after cooking, which is what lets the grains firm up enough to fluff without breaking.
Method
Cook the rinsed rice with coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, and part of the salt until tender and fragrant. Keep covered for 5 minutes, then fluff gently.
5 min
Heat the measured oil in a small pan and fry the anchovies until crisp. Lift them out and drain well.
In the same pan, cook shallots until soft. Add garlic, dried chili paste, and shrimp paste, then cook until the oil separates and the raw smell fades.
Add tamarind paste, sugar, and the remaining salt. Simmer until the sambal is glossy, thick, and balanced between spicy, sweet, salty, and sour.
Serve the coconut rice with sambal, crisp anchovies, roasted peanuts, boiled egg, and cucumber on the side.
How to tell it's done
The rice should be separate and creamy-fragrant, the anchovies crisp, and the sambal thick enough to sit on the rice without running.
Getting it right
Tip
Cook the sambal until it darkens slightly and the oil separates; this removes harsh chili flavor and gives nasi lemak its rounded taste.
What to serve it with
Serve warm for breakfast or lunch with extra cucumber to balance the rich rice and spicy sambal.
Substitutions
- For a milder plate, reduce the dried chili paste and serve extra sambal separately.
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