Nasi Lemak Coconut Rice with Spicy Sambal and Extras Recipe
by Sugen Gopal
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Easy
Nasi lemak is considered the national dish of Malaysia. It centres around aromatic coconut rice with lots of extra ingredients added for flavour and texture. Peanuts give a delicious crunch, the sambal adds a spicy element, the cucumber is there to cool the spice, the anchovies offer salty umami and the fried chicken and soft-boiled egg add protein to make the meal filling. Each ingredient complements the other, resulting in a brilliant plate of food. In Malaysia it’s a dish that can be eaten at any time of day, from breakfast through to the evening.
To make this pescatarian, leave out the fried chicken, or to make it vegetarian, you can also omit the fried anchovies.
Recipe from
Ingredients Serves: 8
- Sambal Ikan Bilis (or your choice of sambals here)
- Coconut Rice (200g basmati rice cooked in 400ml coconut milk)
- dried anchovies
- peanuts
- Ayam Goreng Berempah - Malaysian fried chicken
- soft-boiled egg
- cucumber slices
How to make Nasi Lemak
- This is essentially a collection of the elements that make up Malaysia’s famous nasi lemak – read through each of the individual recipes before getting started.
- Start by making the sambal – this can sit while you prepare the rest of the elements of the nasi lemak. Once you’ve made the sambal, you can start the coconut rice and the fried anchovies and peanuts.
- For the anchovies and peanuts, I suggest following the recipe for Ikan Bilis Kacang Goreng and adding chilli to taste, or you could individually fry dried anchovies and peanuts.
- You want to make a start on the fried chicken last as it’s at its best served hot. The soft-boiled egg and cucumber slices can prepared while the chicken is frying, as they only take a couple of minutes to put together.
About the author
Sugen Gopal was born and raised in Ipoh, Malaysia, where in the family restaurant, his parents showcased their love of authentic Malaysian cuisine. Inspired by the food of his childhood, Sugen moved to London to open the first Roti King, serving a simple menu of Malaysian classics. For almost a decade, the restaurant has served its iconic Roti Canai at affordable prices to foodies in the know and since then, Roti King has launched multiple sites and market stalls across the city
