The soul of Nasi Lemak is with the steamed fragrant rice and the sambal ...
Steamed Fragrant Rice
Nasi Lemak is fragrant rice (some prefer to use the basmati rice) steamed together with the main ingredients coconut milk and pandan leaf. You may also wish to add a small portion of ginger, shallot, salt, and lemongrass, a little cooking oil and other “secret” spices of your choice, to further enhance the aroma of the rice.
Magical Sambal
The main ingredients of the sambal are dried chillies, red onions, shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Depending on individual’s taste preferences, toasted belachan, fried ikan bilis and tamarind paste may also be added. For those who prefer your sambal to have a tint of sweetness aftertaste, add coconut palm sugar.
The Nasi Lemak Love Affair
Nasi lemak is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It is also the native dish in neighbouring areas with significant Malay populations such as Singapore, Brunei, and Southern Thailand. In Indonesia it can be found in several parts of Sumatra; especially the Malay regions of Riau, Riau Islands and Medan. Nasi lemak can also be found in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, prepared by Filipino Moros, as well as Australia’s external territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It is considered an essential dish for a typical Malay-style breakfast.
It is not to be confused with nasi dagang, sold in the Malaysian east coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan (and its kindred region in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in Thailand and Natuna in Indonesia), although both dishes are often served for breakfast. However, because nasi lemak can be served in a variety of ways, it is often eaten throughout the day.
Traditionally, nasi lemak is served with sambal, and usually includes various garnishes, including fresh cucumber slices, small fried ikan bilis, roasted peanuts, and hard-boiled or fried egg. As a more wholesome meal, nasi lemak may also be served with fried chicken, sambal sotong (cuttlefish in chili), small fried fish, and rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). Other side like stir fried kangkong or long beans, and spicy acar may be added too. Traditionally most of these accompaniments are spicy in nature.
Nasi lemak is widely eaten in Malaysia and Singapore. More commonly consumed as breakfast in both countries, it is commonly sold at hawker food centres and roadside stalls in Malaysia and Singapore.
Singaporean Malay variation
For most of the Singaporean Malay variation, the sambal of the nasi lemak has more of a sweeter and less spicy taste when compared to other variations. As the sambal is a crucial portion of the nasi lemak, it is preferred to be less spicy so as not to overpower the taste of the coconut based rice and the other ingredients.
The sides to this dish includes ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts and an omelette or fried egg, which is rather similar to the Malaysian version, although the use of a boiled egg as with the Malaysian version is somewhat less common. Occasionally, a variant using the long grain basmati rice may also be found. It is also common for the Singaporean Nasi Lemak to be green in colour, compared to other versions.
Singaporean Chinese variation
Retaining the familiar aroma of pandan leaves, the Singaporean Chinese variation comes with a variety of sides that includes deep fried drumstick, chicken franks, fish cake, curried vegetables and tongsan luncheon meat. There is also the traditional way of serving it with just the ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts and fried egg similar to the classic Malay version.
Sometimes the rice is also coloured emerald green with the use of screwpine leaf extract or essence, commonly called pandan leaves, that perfumes the rice with a nice fragrance when added to the rice with the coconut milk as well as giving it its bright green colour. The use of the colour may have arisen as a gimmick to entice customers.
[ source : wikipedia ]