How to cook Nasi lemak

Name: Nasi lemak
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 400 g jasmine rice (about 2 rice-cooker cups); 300 ml thick coconut milk (first press, or boxed); 250 ml water, plus extra if needed; 3 pandan leaves, knotted; 3 slices ginger (about 5 g); 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2 pieces; 1/2 tsp fine salt; 15 g dried chillies, deseeded and soaked in hot water 15 minutes; 8 (about 40 g) fresh red chillies, roughly chopped; 150 g red onions or shallots, peeled; 4 cloves (about 20 g) garlic; 1 tbsp (10 g) belacan (toasted shrimp paste), toasted in a dry pan until fragrant; 4 tbsp (60 ml) cooking oil; 1 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 100 ml water, seeds strained out; 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar, or to taste; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 large onion, sliced into rings (for the sambal); 8 (about 600 g) chicken mid-joint wings; 1 tbsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp rice flour; 1 tbsp water, if needed to make a thick paste; 500 ml cooking oil for deep frying; 100 g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), heads removed and rinsed, patted dry; 100 g raw peanuts; 4 eggs; 1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

Nasi lemak is a Singapore and Malay-world breakfast and anytime plate of coconut-scented rice served with a sweet-savoury sambal, crisp fried anchovies and peanuts, fried egg, cucumber and a crunchy fried chicken wing. This version covers every component, so you can plate it as hawkers do.

Serves 4Prep 45 minCook 1 hr 10 minTotal 1 hr 55 minMedium

Ingredients

For the coconut rice

400 g jasmine rice (about 2 rice-cooker cups)
300 ml thick coconut milk (first press, or boxed)
250 ml water, plus extra if needed
3 pandan leaves, knotted
3 slices ginger (about 5 g)
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2 pieces
1/2 tsp fine salt

For the sambal

15 g dried chillies, deseeded and soaked in hot water 15 minutes
8 (about 40 g) fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
150 g red onions or shallots, peeled
4 cloves (about 20 g) garlic
1 tbsp (10 g) belacan (toasted shrimp paste), toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
4 tbsp (60 ml) cooking oil
1 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 100 ml water, seeds strained out
2 tbsp (25 g) sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 large onion, sliced into rings (for the sambal)

For the fried chicken wings

8 (about 600 g) chicken mid-joint wings
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp water, if needed to make a thick paste
500 ml cooking oil for deep frying

For the sides and garnish

100 g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), heads removed and rinsed, patted dry
100 g raw peanuts
4 eggs
1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
2 tbsp cooking oil for frying eggs
to taste extra sambal, for serving

Steps

Marinate the wings30 min
Pat the wings dry. Mix turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, plain flour and rice flour in a bowl, adding the 1 tbsp water if needed to form a thick, clingy paste. Coat the wings thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Start the coconut rice5 min
Rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water runs nearly clear, then drain well. Place in a rice cooker pot with coconut milk, water, salt, knotted pandan leaves, ginger and lemongrass. Stir once, so the salt dissolves and the rice sits level.
Cook the rice40 min
Cook on the normal white-rice setting. When the cooker switches to warm, leave it covered for 10 minutes, then remove the aromatics and fluff gently with a fork or paddle. Alternative: bring the rice mixture to a boil in a heavy pot, cover, cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
Blend the sambal paste5 min
Drain the soaked dried chillies. Blend them with the fresh chillies, shallots, garlic and toasted belacan, adding 2 to 3 tbsp water only if the blades will not catch, until you have a smooth, thick paste.
Fry the sambal paste15 min
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a wok or wide pan over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes until the raw smell is gone, the colour deepens to a darker red and the oil separates and pools at the edges.
Finish the sambal10 min
Stir in the strained tamarind water, sugar and salt. Add the sliced onion rings and simmer on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes until glossy and thick, with the onion just soft. Taste and adjust: it should be sweet, tangy, salty and spicy. Set aside.
Fry the peanuts5 min
Heat 150 ml of the frying oil in a clean wok over medium-low heat. Add the peanuts and fry, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and fragrant. They darken further as they cool, so remove them just before they turn deep brown. Drain on paper towels.
Fry the ikan bilis4 min
In the same oil, fry the dry ikan bilis over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. They will crisp further as they cool.
Deep-fry the chicken wings25 min
Heat the remaining oil in a deep pot or wok to about 170 C (a pinch of flour should sizzle steadily). Fry the wings in two batches for 10 to 12 minutes each, turning occasionally, until deep golden and crisp. Do not crowd the pot.
Check the chicken is cooked1 min
Cut into the thickest part of one wing near the bone: the meat should be white throughout with clear juices and no pink. Drain the wings on a rack or paper towels.
Fry the eggs5 min
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set and the edges are lacy and crisp. Cook the yolks fully if you prefer, for 4 minutes with a lid on. Season lightly with salt.
Plate and serve5 min
For each plate, mound a scoop of coconut rice, add a fried egg, 2 chicken wings, a generous spoonful of sambal, a small handful of anchovies and peanuts, and a few cucumber slices. Serve with extra sambal on the side.

Tips

Use thick coconut milk and do not skip the salt in the rice, as unsalted coconut rice tastes flat next to the sambal.
A properly cooked sambal is dark, glossy and has oil separating at the edges. If it is still pale and tastes sharp, keep frying.
Keep the ikan bilis and peanuts in an airtight container once fully cool so they stay crisp for several days.
Adjust the heat by reducing the fresh chillies or using more dried chillies, which are milder and deeper in colour.
Fry the wings at a steady temperature: too hot and the spice coating burns before the inside cooks, too cool and they turn greasy.

Food safety and allergens

Chicken must be cooked until the juices run clear with no pink at the bone. Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; keep rice, sambal and chicken separately in the fridge and eat within 2 days, reheating until steaming hot.

Contains: egg, fish (ikan bilis), peanuts, shellfish (belacan), wheat (plain flour)

Watch it being made

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Recipe written by asklor!'s AI and checked for completeness - not official data and not a chef's recipe. Cooking times vary with your stove and pans; always check food is cooked through. Videos are made by their YouTube creators; asklor! is not affiliated with them or with YouTube.