Nasi lemak

Method13 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse and drain all the dry long-grain rice (2 cups). Peel and thinly slice the half-inch piece of fresh ginger. Stir all the coconut milk (2 cups), two cups rice water, drained rice, ground ginger (¼ tsp), fresh ginger slices and bay leaf (1) together in a medium saucepan, with the separate rice salt to taste. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.

   Uses 2 cups coconut milk · 2 cups water for rice · ¼ tsp ground ginger · 1 half-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced in step 1 · 1 whole bay leaf · 2 cups dry long-grain rice, rinsed and drained in step 1 · Salt for coconut rice, to taste

2. 2

   Step 2: Reduce the heat and simmer covered for twenty to thirty minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, continuing as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf and keep the actual cooked rice warm while finishing the garnish and sauce.

   Simmer coconut rice until tender · 30 minUses The complete rice pot

3. 3

   Step 3: Put all four raw eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water from the separate egg-water supply. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and cover it.

   Uses 4 large raw eggs, hard-boiled in steps 3–4 · Cold water to cover four eggs, then fresh cold water for cooling

4. 4

   Step 4: Leave the covered eggs in the hot water off the heat for ten to twelve minutes, until the whites and yolks are firm. Lift out, cool in fresh cold water, peel and halve all four cooked eggs, keeping them ready for serving.

   Finish eggs in covered off-heat hot water · 12 minUses All four eggs and their hot water

5. 5

   Step 5: Wash and slice the cucumber (1 medium), keeping all the slices ready for serving.

   Uses 1 medium cucumber

6. 6

   Step 6: Meanwhile, heat the separate cup of garnish-frying vegetable oil (1 cup) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry all the raw peanuts (1 cup) briefly until lightly browned, without burning them.

   Uses 1 cup vegetable oil for frying peanuts then garnish anchovies; discard afterwards · 1 cup raw peanuts

7. 7

   Step 7: Lift all the actual browned peanuts out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep them separately for serving and return the skillet of used frying oil to the stove.

   Uses All the fried peanuts; retain the actual hot oil in the skillet

8. 8

   Step 8: Drain any excess moisture from all four ounces of garnish white anchovies (4 oz) and pat them dry before frying. Add all four ounces of garnish white anchovies to the actual retained frying oil. Cook, turning, for about two to three minutes until crisp and fully cooked; if starting with raw fish, check it reaches at least 63°C / 145°F. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, keeping the crisp anchovies separate for serving.

   Fry garnish anchovies until crisp and cooked · 3 minUses Only the actual retained hot frying oil; keep peanuts separately · 4 oz whole white anchovies for crispy garnish

9. 9

   Step 9: Once safe to handle, discard the used garnish-frying oil and wipe out the skillet. Keep the drained crisp anchovies ready beside the peanuts.

   Uses Only the used oil pan; keep crisp fish separately

10. 10

    Step 10: Peel and slice the onion (1 medium) and peel and thinly slice the shallots (3 medium) and garlic (3). Heat the separate two tablespoons sauce oil in the cleaned skillet. Add all the prepared onion, shallots and garlic and cook for one to two minutes until fragrant.

    Fry sauce onion, shallots and garlic · 2 minUses The actual cleaned skillet · 2 tbsp vegetable oil for sauce · 1 medium onion, sliced in step 10 · 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced in step 10 · 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced in step 10

11. 11

    Step 11: Stir all the chile paste (2 tsp) into the actual aromatic sauce base and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. If it becomes too dry, add the separate optional sauce water, beginning with a tablespoon and using more only as needed.

    Cook chile paste with sauce aromatics · 10 minUses The complete sauce-base pan · 2 tsp chile paste · Optional sauce water, starting with 1 tbsp if needed

12. 12

    Step 12: Stir all the separate four ounces of sauce white anchovies into the actual chile base and cook for five minutes until fully cooked, reaching at least 63°C / 145°F if the fish began raw. Add all the tamarind juice (¼ cup) and white sugar (3 tbsp), plus the separate sauce salt to taste, then simmer for about five minutes until the sauce is thick.

    Uses The complete cooked sauce base · 4 oz whole white anchovies for sauce · ¼ cup tamarind juice · 3 tbsp white sugar · Salt for the anchovy sauce, to taste

13. 13

    Step 13: Divide the actual warm coconut rice into eight portions. Spoon the finished tamarind-chile-anchovy sauce over it, then top with the actual drained fried peanuts, crisp garnish anchovies, cucumber slices and one hard-boiled egg half per portion.

    Uses All the actual cooked rice · All eight prepared egg halves · All the washed sliced cucumber · All the actual fried peanuts · All the actual crisp fish · All the finished sauce