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Nasi lemak

⏱ ~135 min (est.)InvolvedSeafoodMalaysian
Nasi lemak

Rice, cucumber and peanuts come together in this Malaysian seafood — 135 minutes, 21 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 21 steps.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and saucepan. At involved difficulty across 21 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (7)

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

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How to make it

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together coconut milk, water, ground ginger, ginger root, salt, bay leaf, and rice. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done.
  2. Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water.
  3. Bring water to a boil, and immediately remove from heat.
  4. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.
  5. Remove eggs from hot water, cool, peel and slice in half.
  6. Slice cucumber.
  7. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or wok, heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
  8. Stir in peanuts and cook briefly, until lightly browned.
  9. Remove peanuts with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to soak up excess grease.
  10. Return skillet to stove.
  11. Stir in the contents of one package anchovies; cook briefly, turning, until crisp.
  12. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.
  13. Discard oil.
  14. Wipe out skillet.
  15. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet.
  16. Stir in the onion, garlic, and shallots; cook until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes.
  17. Mix in the chile paste, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  18. If the chile paste is too dry, add a small amount of water.
  19. Stir in remaining anchovies; cook for 5 minutes.
  20. Stir in salt, sugar, and tamarind juice; simmer until sauce is thick, about 5 minutes.
  21. Serve the onion and garlic sauce over the warm rice, and top with peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumbers, and eggs.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Saucepan · Pan · Wok

Watch how it's made

Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.

Ingredient substitutions

Milk
any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Eggs
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Shallots
½ small onion + a little garlic

What to serve with Nasi lemak

Tips & common questions

How long does Nasi lemak take to make?

About 135 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 21 steps and 18 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of milk?

Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

How should I store leftovers?

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.

Recipe data for Nasi lemak via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.